There is no better way to jettison yourself out of overheated doldrums than an icy glass of granita di caffe con panna, a parfait of sweetened granular espresso ice layered with dollops of barely sweetened whipped cream. There is some kind of synergy between the icy chill, the sugar and the caffeine that cools and jolts you all at the same time — it's a welcome shot in the arm when you find yourself felled by heat-induced laziness. But I’m warning you, if you have it in the freezer you might find yourself spooning a second and third serving into your glass. Talk about bulletproof.

Arguably the most popular granita di caffe in the world can be found in Rome, across from the Pantheon at Tazza d'Oro, a coffee bar and roaster that's been serving tiny cups of black gold to customers for over 70 years. The joy of traveling in Italy in the 1970s for the first time was that no one I knew had ever been to Rome and no one told me where I "had to go." I found my way to Tazza d'Oro on a blisteringly hot end of summer day by just following the stream of tourists exiting the place with cups of dark ice and fluffy cream in hand. I joined the line and became mesmerized by the simplicity of how the refresher was put together.