Gelato-A-Day
Well, it's about time I added a page to track all of the wonderful gelato flavors we've tried while here in Italy. Before leaving home for our 2011 trip, I estimated our gelato budget to be in the $900-$1,000 range, but that may be a little low. We got off to a slow start, but we're making progress and having fun in the process. The image above is from Festival del Gelato in Florence and like most places they offer 6-8 different size cups to choose from (cones too). We usually opt for the €2,00 or €2,50 size and almost always get two flavors per cup or cone. Check out our running tally of the flavor combinations we've eaten thus far. Our lists are posted under the Gelato-A-Day menu item above. Let us know which flavor you think sounds best.
The gelateria doesn't just offer gelato, they also offer other products. Below is a short list along with a description. We'll have to try them all.
The gelateria doesn't just offer gelato, they also offer other products. Below is a short list along with a description. We'll have to try them all.
Gelato
Ingredients: Whole milk, egg yolk, cane sugar, and the best raw materials which produces a product denser than ice cream with less butter fat, more sugar, and intense flavors. Common flavors include cioccolato, crema, nocciola, caffè, torrone, ricotta, and pistacchio.
Semifreddo
Ingredients: Equal parts gelato (or sorbetto) and panna montata (whipped cream) which produces a semi-frozen mousse-like product. Common favors include cioccolato, caffè, and fruitti di bosco.
Gelato Caldo
Ingredients: Panna montata (whipped cream), cane sugar, and the best raw materials. The product is fluffy and light, and because it is not frozen like gelato (or semi-frozen like semifreddo), it is called caldo, or hot. Common favors include stracciatella and amaretti.
Sorbetto
Ingredients: Fruit pulp, water, and cane sugar. Common favors include limone, fragola, frutti di bosco, melone, pesca, pera, and fichi.
Granita
Ingredients: Fruit pulp, water, and cane sugar but is coarser and slushier than sorbetto. Common favors include limone, fragola, melone, mandorla, menta, and cocomera.