Recognising good gelato: here's how to find really good Italian ice cream
In the past, we always got ice cream from the same ice cream parlor in Florence. What exactly possessed us, I do not know, because when I walk past it now, it is a place where I will never set foot again. I hope my parents did it purely because we as children were attracted to the neon lights, because I don't hold that against them. How do you know that you have found an ice cream parlor with really good ice cream? I share a few tricks to easily pick it out.
7 tips for finding good Italian ice cream
1. Pay attention to color
Gelato is made from natural ingredients. Do you see bright yellow banana ice cream or bright green pistachio? Get out of there. Banana ice cream is bland and pistachio is also dull in color. The only flavors that should shine are those with ingredients that have a bright color. Raspberry, for example.
2. Look for the spatulas
Gelato is spread with a spatula on a cone or in a cup. Catching the soft texture with an ice cream scoop becomes one big mess. Your ice cream is therefore always ready to eat, in fact: it is a struggle not to get completely covered in it. In the meantime, read about the difference between gelato and ice cream here.
3. Don't be tempted by mountains of ice cream
It looks fantastic, those Mont Blancs of gelato in the display case. That phenomenon plus the neon lights were absolutely the things that made me hysterical as a child in that one ice cream parlor. The truth is that alarm bells should actually go off, because ice cream that comes above the cooling gives bacteria a free pass and is not only extremely unhygienic but often also cheating; the ice cream could contain additives since it does not drip over the tubs.
4. Do let yourself be surprised by pozetti
Poz-watti? Those are the stainless steel tubs with cozy round lids where it is a guessing game what is 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 display is, in my opinion, a sign of confidence in their own product.
5. Scan for seasonal fruit
Gelato is fresh and is therefore made from natural ingredients. This means that ice cream made from figs or stone fruit is only intended for the summer. In winter, there is then cheating. Of course, there is also plenty of fruit available year-round, so don't give up on everything right away.
6. Know your classics
If there are no classics, I would run away. Not only because I specifically want pistachio in my cup, but also because a decent ice cream parlor embraces classics. In a Dutch ice cream parlor, they deviate a bit to our taste, but if you are in Italy, pay attention to flavors like fior di latte or panna, hazelnut, and my eternal love: pistachio.
7. Read what is above the door
Finally: is there somewhere ‘gelateria artigianale’ indicated on or in the building? Then you can trust that the ice cream from this ice cream maker is at least homemade.
