Choosing a Gelateria
By: Jennifer Milano, written July 2015
Our goal is to eat gelato at least once a day, everyday we are in Italy. If we exceed that goal, great! The key is not to waste whatever gelato rations you set (I suggest you be generous to yourself in setting them!), and choose your gelateria wisely. Here is how I approach this very important task of finding the best gelato each day:
Photo courtesy of Kristen McCabe
- Research. I flag the recommended gelaterias in my guide book, and research online for recommendations. You will find several recommended gelaterias throughout Italy on this site.
- Look at the gelateria. Is there a sign that says "nostra produzione" or "gelateria artigianale"? Such phrases indicate the gelato is made in-house, although it is not a guarantee. I never buy gelato at a bar, where the gelato is an afterthought. Get your gelato from a place that focuses on gelato.
- Look at the bins. Only choose a gelateria with metal bins, which doesn't mean it's necessarily home made, but if the bins are not metal, it probably isn't. I also avoid the places with mounds of gelato that look like they are whipped up high. A friend told me that her Florentine tour guide said those places add a chemical to prevent the gelato from melting. Whether or not that is the case, I prefer gelaterias that have all of the gelato down in cold, metal bins, where it looks like they scoop often and change to fresh bins.
- Check the labels. If there is a pre-printed brand name on each flavor, it is corporate and not home made.
- Inspect the banana. My failsafe - I look at the banana flavor. If it's yellow (like the peel), I move on. If it's beige (like the color of an actual banana), I order. If there is no banana, check the pistachio. If it's bright green, dye has been added. If it is a soft, muted green like the color of an actual pistachio nut, it is home made. In my opinion, you can ignore all of the other rules and just follow this all-important one!
Look at the color of the pistachio (left) - this gelato is home made.
Ordering gelato is unlike ordering ice cream in the U.S. In Italy, you order by the size of cup or cone, based on the cost. For example, a 2 Euro cup or cone. You can order several flavors per cup or cone, and obviously the more expensive cup or cone you order, the more flavors you get. Mix up the flavors to complement one another. For example, "cioccolato e fragola" is chocolate and strawberry. I love bacio, which is chocolate hazelnut, and the fruit flavors. Pesca (peach), limone (lemon), melone (melon) and fragola (strawberry) taste like the actual fruit. Like most food in Italy, artificial flavorings are not commonly used in gelato. Italians use the actual fruit to flavor the ice cream, and it is delicious. If you want whipped cream on top, ask for "panna". It is usually free of charge. If you get banana gelato with panna on top, it tastes like banana cream pie....yum!