Gelato 101

One of the things Italy is most famous for is the gelato - which is Italian-style ice cream. It is distinct from just any old ice cream particularly well-known because it is made using different ingredients and processing from other ice creams.

For example, regular ice cream uses a higher amount of butterfat, while gelato uses more milk. This means that gelato has less fat content, which changes the way the gelato tastes, arguably making the flavors more powerful. Another big difference is that gelato contains less air than regular ice cream, so it is more dense and has a creamier texture. The third big difference is that because the ingredients in gelato are not homogenized, gelato melts easily, and is pretty much already melting by the time it is served. You can see in this picture that the gelato is much more malleable than a typical ice cream. There's no need to hurt your hand trying to scoop any of these out.

So many flavors to choose from - especially ones I'm not used to seeing! For example, the only fruit-flavored ice cream I see often in the US is strawberry, while all other fruits are exiled to the sorbet section. In the gelaterie here, though, there is a wide selection of fruit-flavored gelati, including peach, pineapple, berries, apple, and melon.

Of course, there is the universally popular chocolate gelato, along with coffee, custard, pistachio, and hazelnut flavors. Some of the more unique and interesting flavors are Nutella, tiramisù, zabaione (eggs and Marsala wine), and zuppa inglese (custard with cookies and sweet wine).

Here I am, a couple weeks back, enjoying my first gelato in Italy!

I must say, the portions are big, and reasonably prices compared to American creameries. When you go to the shop, you tell them whether you want a cone or a cup, and how much you want to pay. You always get two scoops, I think, and the size of the scoops depends on how much you pay (the gelateria near work has sizes €1.50, €2.00, €2.50, and €3.00). It's most popular to mix and match flavors! The gelato I am holding is the smallest size, €1.50 ($2.25). Don't order the €3.00 size unless you have an empty stomach!

In addition to getting your gelato in a cone or in a cup (with a cute small cone on top), it is also popular to get it in a bun. I haven't been hungry enough to try this, but it looks really fun and tasty (but also very messy). I'm going to have to try that sometime, along with a bunch of different flavors!