snowflakes

Land of Gelati

From top left corner (left to right, top to bottom):
1. Pistachio & “Gianni’s Special” (Bologna)
2. “Crema di Giotto” & Mango (Florence)
3. Banana & Coffee (Riva Del Garda)
4. Pineapple & Hazel Nut (Perugia)
5. Red orange & Chocolate (Rome)
6. Apricot & Amaretto (Bolzano)
7. Chocolate Chip & Green Apple (Siena)
8. Rum & Raisin (Trento)
9. Peach & Nutella (Venice)
10. Stracciatelli & Banana (Milan)
11. Lemon & Granduia (Cinque Terre)

Gelato means Ice-cream in Italian and Italy is definitely the Land of Gelati (plural). When John and I went around backpacking, we did a short “ice-cream pilgrimage”. As we travel from city to city, everyday we faithfully pay the famous local gelaterias a visit. The pictures u see are the ice-creams John ate, and I just took a few bites from him. The gelati are really good and in my personal opinion, better than Häagen-Dazs.

Here’s a useful tip take from a guide book about choosing the best gelato in Italy.

Artificial Avoidance:
Gelato is said to have been invented in Florence centuries ago by the Buontalenti family: you’ll want to make sure you get the most authentic kind. Before shelling out 1.50 for a piccolo cono (small cone), assess the quality of an establishment by looking at the banana flavor: if it’s bright yellow. it’s from a mix, you should keep walking then. If it’s slightly gray, real banana were used. Likewise, steer clear of bright yellow lemon gelato; fresh lemons make white-colored gelato. Metal bins also signify homemade gelato, whereas plastic tubs indicate mass-production.
(Let’s Go Italy 2007).