About Gelato....

Since gelato is a favorite treat for those visiting Italy, I thought it would be helpful to summarize some of the info that I have gathered about it from various sources. Feel free to add more...

Gelato is Italian "ice cream", but is different from American-style ice cream. Gelato is made from whole milk, eggs, sugar, and flavoring. Some of the fruit flavors are dairy-free; just fruit and sugar. (None of them are sugar-free, so keep in mind you are getting lots of sugar in gelato.)

Gelato is very popular in Italy with Italians and tourists. There are stores that specialize in gelato (look for "Gelateria"). Many caffes sell gelato. Some places make their own gelato, others get it from small Italian gelato factories. Not all homemade gelato is the same; some places use commercial mixes, some places use fresh ingredients. (It is becoming harder to find places that do not use these commercial mixes.)

Look for these signs to designate quality gelato:

• Produzione Propria (homemade - our own production)
  
• Nostra Produzione (our production)
  
• Produzione Artigianale (production by craftsmen)
  
• Fatta in casa (made in-house)

The gelato should be stored in metal containers, rather than plastic ones (plastic is another sign of mass production). Also the color should look muted and natural. If it is too bright, it was probably made from a mix. Tip: check the banana gelato -- if it is bright yellow, find another gelateria.

You can order gelato in a cone (cono) or a cup (coppa). Toppings and whipped cream are extra. Most people recommend getting 2 flavors and enjoying them together.

It's a myth that gelato is more fattening that regular ice cream. Ice cream is made from fresh cream, resulting in a butterfat content of between 10 and 30 percent. Gelato, on the other hand, is typically made with milk, water or soy as a base, and it has a fat content of between 1 and 10 percent.

It is the custom to order your gelato and walk around with it. If you wish to sit, you will usually pay more. Prices should be posted. Gelato is more expensive in Northern Italy. Prices generally range from 1.5 to 4 euros (but for the higher price you may get a more generous serving).

(There are some touristy gelato shops in Rome that will "decorate" the gelato in your cone. By the time they finish it looks like it has a face and is wearing a hat. Silly, but some people go for it. Anyway, a friend got sucked into the decorating and ended up paying 13 euro.)

Some common flavors:

nocciola (pronounced: noht-CHOH-lah) - hazelnut

cioccolato (chohk-koh-LAH-toh) - chocolate

caffe (kahf-FEH) - coffee

limone (lee-MOH-neh) - lemon

fragola (FRAH-goh-lah) - strawberry

melone (meh-LOH-neh) - melon (cantaloupe)

straciatella (stra-chee-ah-TELL-ah) - chocolate chip

For those who are really interested, there is a guidebook to finding Italy's best Gelaterias:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0974911801/slowtravelers-20

The "best" gelato is a matter of opinion, and Italians often say it depends on what flavor you like.

Cynthia,

Love your post! You're making me very hungry for gelato. My personal favourite gelateria (after extensive tasting!) is Perchè no!… in Florence. They even have a website here.

Lisa :)

Cruisemom42, thanks for all the great information. We'll be in Italy in a little over a week and trying the gelato is high on our list of things to do while we're there!

Thanks for the post! I am really looking forward to gelato in August, since I am sure it will be very hot.

Since gelato is a favorite treat for those visiting Italy, I thought it would be helpful to summarize some of the info that I have gathered about it from various sources.

Another page to print - since I am only carrying the most important information with me! Thanks, cruisemom42!

:D

Dot

I think we ate Gelato in every single port.

Another page to print - since I am only carrying the most important information with me! Thanks, cruisemom42!

 

:D

Dot

Absolutely! :D:D:D

In Rome, San Crispino's, near Trevi Fountain, is often considered one of the best places. They are famous for their honey-flavored gelato (I think it is just labeled as "San Crispino" as it is their specialty) and also pistachio.

More info about San Crispino, including their address:

http://goitaly.about.com/od/romeitaly/p/romegelato.htm

I have been so jealous with all I have been reading about gelato and now to hear that there is even some non dairy... well, I am a happy camper! :D Can anyone please tell me how to ask which is non-dairy in Italian? Thank you!

You forgot my favorite flavor.......licorice. :) Italy is a haven for licorice lovers like me. Besides the gelato, many candy stores sell the ropes of heavy black licorice - something very difficult to find here.

Mary

My cruise was last month. I tried Gelato in three places. My flavor was Lemon and here is how it was ranked in each country.

#1 - Dubrovnik, Croatia - By far the best!

#2 - Santorini, Greece - Good but not as creamy as the Dubrovnik Gelato.

#3 - Rome - Had in twice.

In a restaurant - Huge bowl, but not that great. Color was a deep yellow.

At our hotel and made into a parfait with whipped cream and a cherry. Very good, but too sweet!

Funny story... My brother, SIL and I were in a deli in Civitavecchia. We were looking for Gelato, so my brother pointed to a dairy case and asked the clerk "Gelato?" There happened to be a little girl and her father in the store. When she heard my brother say "Gelato", she turned to her father and said excitingly, "Gelato Papa, Gelato!!!" and then ran to the dairy case. The father grabbed her away from the case and said "no Gelato" and he then gave my brother a stern look. :eek: "Gelato Papa, Gelato!!!", became our favorite phrase for the trip. :D

Another funny story about that deli. We were buying sandwiches, but they were huge and whole, so we asked the clerk to cut them in half. He didn't understand, so we used our fingers to demonstrate cutting. The clerk gave a big smile, pulled out a pair of scissors from the money drawer and was getting ready to cut the sandwiches, until we stopped him. :eek:

I am in hands down agreement with Sea Island Lady!! Dubrovnik, for me, was the best that I had while on our trip...and the cheapest being only 1 Euro!! Although Taormina had the almightly selection!! It was amazing but on the other end..was the most expensieve at 4 Euro. No worries though...it was still good!!!

Look forward to Perche No in Florence next summer and now looking forward to gelato in Dubrovnik as well.

The best gelato we had in Rome was in the cafe just across from the Spanish Steps!!! We tried based on a tip from these boards and it was way better than an other gelato we had in Rome plus it was less expensive!

Kathy:)

What a brilliant thread:D . Thanks to this, I can now look forward to wonderful gelato in Dubrovnik and Santorini, as well as Naples, on our forthcoming trip. Yummeee......

In Florence, try Vivoli. They, too, have a website (who doesn't?). Great chocolate-orange gelato. It's a few blocks from the Duomo.

My wife and I, and 2 friends, made an excursion to San Crispino in Rome 2 years ago and we all thought its reputation far exceeded its gelato. WE were not at all impressed. Although probably commercial, Blue Ice has very good gelato (several locations around Rome, including one just near Trevi fountain). Very good chocolate! (Are you beginning to see a theme?)

And, of course, keep in mind that the worst gelato while traveling in Italy is still better than being home at work!

I am lucky enough to now have genuine "artisianale" gelato 2 blocks from my house near Pasadena. The owners are a Roman and his Pasadena-born wife.

Their gelato is truly exceptional -- unbelievable pistachio, and did I mention their chocolate-orange?? This discovery is not going to be good for the bathroom scale.

Another link with various top-rated gelaterie in Rome, by location:

http://rome-hotels.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187791-c70805/Rome:Italy:Best.Gelato.In.Rome.html

wow, I second the notion of Vivoli's chocolate orange in Florence.

Also pesca, peach anywhere, you can taste test which is the best, Venice has one great one in a back street and another great one down by the Arsenale and Biennale.

In Rome, in the Piazza Navona try the tartufo, crazy expensive, but crazy good.

I can't wait to try Dubrovnik's.

The tartufo is at Tre Scalini, directly on Piazza Navona. Get it to take away, or you'll pay at least double to sit at a table. Chocolate heaven. (There I go with that chocolate again!)

The best gelato we had in Rome was in the cafe just across from the Spanish Steps!!!

We had gelato across from the Spanish Steps from a place called cafeteria antica roma - they decorate it with edible cone shapes and little umbrellas etc. It's adorable. But beware! Make sure you ask for not only your size but your price as well...we went there several times and paid a different price each time. One time it was 9.50 euros for one cone!! Don't avoid the cafe - just be careful and make sure you are both on the same page.

It's really a cute little place.

Ahhh Gelato, Doesn't matter where you get it in Italy, it's always great. Chocolate is my favorite. Had it every chance I could and I'm not an ice cream eater! We have a gelato place in town and I'm going to give it a whirl but I can bet it won't be the same!

Okay I was excited about the gelato before but now I'm salivating:) :) :) I'm printing out the info. about it too.

In Rome, San Crispino's, near Trevi Fountain, is often considered one of the best places. They are famous for their honey-flavored gelato (I think it is just labeled as "San Crispino" as it is their specialty) and also pistachio.

 

More info about San Crispino, including their address:

 

http://goitaly.about.com/od/romeitaly/p/romegelato.htm

That place is AMAZING! Small, expensive, but wonderful. There is also a place near the Pantheon that is great for more traditional style -- Gioliotti (totally spelled wrong).

That place is AMAZING! Small, expensive, but wonderful. There is also a place near the Pantheon that is great for more traditional style -- Gioliotti (totally spelled wrong).

You weren't far off on your spelling. It's Giolitti and, yes, it's great. I thought it was better than San Crispino. And much easier to find!

You weren't far off on your spelling. It's Giolitti and, yes, it's great. I thought it was better than San Crispino. And much easier to find!

Haha, true that, once you round the right corner, BOOM that giant signs alerts you to it :)

We had gelato on Monday night at the place by the Pantheon. The guy gave us two free bottles of water. We ate it sitting on the steps of the fountain opposite the Pantheon. It was dusk and not very crowded and the gelato was delicious.