How to recognise good gelato: 7 tips for finding genuinely good Italian ice cream
We used to always get an ice cream from the same gelateria in Florence. I’m not exactly sure what possessed us, because if I walk past it now, it’s a place I would never, ever set foot in again. I hope my parents did it purely because we kids were drawn to the neon lights, because otherwise I can’t give them a pass. So how do you know when you’ve found a gelateria with genuinely good ice cream? Colleague Sophie from Italiamo shares a few tricks for easily picking it out.
7 tips for finding good Italian ice cream
1. Pay attention to colour
Gelato is made with natural ingredients. See bright yellow banana ice cream or vivid green pistachio? Run. Banana ice cream is pale, and pistachio is muted in colour too. The only flavours that should really shine are those made with ingredients that have a bright colour. Raspberry, for example.
2. Look for the spatulas
Gelato is spread onto a cone or into a tub with a spatula. Trying to scoop its soft texture with an ice-cream scoop would be one big mess. That’s why your ice cream is always ready to eat straight away—if anything, you have to work hard not to end up covered in it yourself. In between, read about the difference between gelato and ice cream here.
3. Don’t be seduced by mountains of ice cream
Those Mont Blancs of gelato in the display case look fantastic, of course. That phenomenon, along with the neon lights, was absolutely what made me hysterical as a child in that one gelateria. The truth is that alarm bells should actually start ringing, because ice cream piled above the refrigeration line gives bacteria free rein and, besides being extremely unhygienic, is often cheating too; the ice cream may well contain additives, since it doesn’t drip over the tubs.
4. Do let yourself be surprised by pozzetti
Poz-watti? Those are the stainless-steel tubs with charming round lids where you have to guess what’s hidden underneath. One thing is fairly certain: quality ice cream, because there are no fluctuations in temperature here. The fact that an ice-cream maker takes the risk of using those unattractive tubs instead of tempting you with well-presented tubs in the window is, as far as I’m concerned, a sign that they trust their own product.
5. Scan for seasonal fruit
Gelato is fresh and therefore made with natural ingredients. That means ice cream made with, for example, figs or stone fruit is intended only for summer. In winter, corners are cut. Of course, plenty of fruit is available year-round too, so don’t immediately write everything off.
6. Know your classics
If there are no classics, I would run. Not only because I absolutely want pistachio in my tub, but also because any decent gelateria embraces the classics. In a Dutch gelateria, the flavours may be adjusted a little to suit our tastes, but if you’re in Italy, look out for flavours such as fior di latte (creamy milk) or panna, hazelnut and my eternal love: pistachio.
7. Read what it says above the door
Finally: does it say gelateria artigianale somewhere on or in the building? Then you can trust that the ice-cream maker’s gelato is at least homemade.
Also read:
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- Appeal: can people please stop eating on the train?
- 16 ridiculous supermarket packages
Source: Italiamo
