As the summer heats up, our thoughts turn to iced and chilled treats … and there is none more quintessential than ice cream. It comes in seemingly hundreds of flavors. You can add dozens of toppings. It’s hard to imagine someone not liking ice cream.
In Italy, ice cream isn’t a thing … for the Italians, it’s gelato! What’s the difference? Gelato has more milk, less cream and no egg yolks (common in many ice creams). That makes it richer and denser than ice cream.
Italians are justifiably proud of the dessert. While Tiramisu may be considered the national dessert of Italy, there are contests and competitions to find the “best” gelato. One famous gelateria is in the Tuscan town of San Gimignano … and the line to taste one of dozens of flavors snakes into the town square.
Daily specials offer interesting combinations, but the standard flavors are still a favorite.
Nearby, other shops also offer choices – in cones or cups – for those who eschew the line. We tried the famous place, then the next day went for the shorter line. To be fair, I LOVE gelato, but I don’t think my palate is refined enough to have detected a difference. That said, I would happily judge any gelato contest!
I don’t think it’s overstating to say that no trip to Italy is complete without at least several stops for gelato.
There’s a whole world out there just waiting to be explored. Cool off on a hot day with a delicious serving of gelato!
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