Gelato Flavors

       Gelateria / Ice Cream Shop                                             

 History of Gelato

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 Gelateria (geh-lah-toh-REEH-ah) : Serves home-made ice cream, Gelato  (geh-LAH-tooh ) in a variety of scrumptious flavors. 
Once you have tasted gelato you will never be satisfied with regular ice cream again. Gelato is made with all natural ingredients, fruits and milk, not cream. It contains only 5%-8% butter fat. Where as American-style ice cream contains 10%-15%  butter fat. The best gelato is  one that is made fresh on the premises. Produzione Propria (made on site). Artiganate  means made with (natural ingredients). 

In Rome, you can find a gelateria every few feet, but not all are of equal quality.  Good gelateria make their gelato on-site and use fresh, natural and organic products. 

  
The history of gelato (Gelutu) goes back to 16th century and the island of Sicily was it's birthplace.
Eating gelato, is a favorite Italian  pastime. Enjoying gelato is an opportunity to linger and converse with friends. It is also a way to cool down from the summer heat. In southern Italy, gelato is even eaten for breakfast.

Sorbetto / Sorbet: Is a frozen dessert made from iced  fruit juice puree and contains  no milk. It may contain wine or liquor. 
Folklore has it that  Emperor Nero invented sorbet during the first century. (history of Gelato/Sorbetto). 
There is very little difference between  Italian  Ice /Granita (gah-NAH-tah). and Sorbetto only  the consistency.
Cool and refreshing. One of my favorites. As a little girl back in New York I would wait and listen  for the bell of our "lemon-Ice" man./ "granita di limuni " ( grah-NEEH-tah-deeh-leeh-MOOH-neeh). [Sicilian]

Spumoni / Spumoni, is a molded Italian ice cream made with layers of different colors and flavors, usually containing candied fruits and nuts. Typically it is of three flavors, with a fruit/nut layer between them. The ice cream layers are often mixed with whipped cream. Chocolate and pistachio are the typical flavors of the ice cream layers, and the fruit/nut layer often contains cherry bits—causing the traditional red/pink, brown, and green color combination. It is popular in places with large Italian immigrant populations such as the United States and Argentina. August 21 is National Spumoni Day in the United States.

How to Order Gelato in Italy

Cup or Cone? Not every gelato shop will offer both cups and cones, but the vast majority will. The word for cup is “coppa” (KOH-pah) and cone is “cono” (KOH-noh). You’d ask for either “una coppa” or “un cono”  Sometimes, you’ll see several different kinds of cones on display, so be prepared to point to the one you want.

How many scoops? The size of the cup or cone you’re getting doesn’t pre-determine how many scoops of gelato you’ll get.  You’ll need to say how many scoops you’d like. In Italian, the word  is “gusti” (GOO-stee), which means
flavors. So you’re telling them how many flavors you’d like, and they’re going to give you one scoop per flavor. 

Pay First:
In most gelato shops in Italy, you’ll need to pay for your order before you’ve actually ordered it. This is because the person who takes your money and the person who actually scoops your gelato can be two different people, and sometimes they’re even in two different parts of the store.  
You pay first, then you choose your flavors and get your gelato.

You want two scoops of gelato in a cone  you don’t need to know what flavors yet, you  just need to know the quantity and the container. Go to the cashier and say, "Un cono due gusti, per favore", or A cone with two scoops please". You would then pay for your gelato and be given a receipt showing the amount paid.

It’s important to note here that while you’ll line up to pay for your gelato and get your receipt, you won’t be waited on in a particular order at the actual gelato counter. This does give you time to look over all the flavors, so you don’t have to feel pressured to come up with your order immediately.

Browse Flavors: 
Now go over to the gelato counter and start viewing all those yummy  the flavors.

Order Your Flavors:
 Hand your  receipt to the person behind the counter so they can see how much you've  paid for. Place your flavor order. Example two scoops  Raspberry  and Chocolate please  " Lampone e Cioccolato, per fovore"
Chocolate: Cioccolato  (cho-koh-LAH-toh)   Raspberry:  Lampone  (lahm-POH-nay) .

Grazie, Thank you,  and your on your way...

Gelaterias  In Rome 

   Giolitti Gelateria is the most famous in Rome 
(Via Uffici del Vicario 40 (north of the Pantheon) 
It’s over 100 years old and the favorite of native Romans.    

 Gelateria Della Palma
(Via della Maddalena 27  (north of the Pantheon) 
With 150 flavors and countless of them creamy chocolate combinations. 

San Crispino 
Villa della Panetteria 42 (near the Trevi Fountain) 
Piazza della Maddalena 3 (near the Pantheon)
They use the highest quality fresh ingredients and all natural ingredients.
  They only serve their Gelato only in cups because they believe that cones interfere with the flavor.

Al Settimo Gelo 
 Via Vodice 21A  (near Piazza Mazzini and the Vatican)
 Ingredients are all natural and organic.  

Gelateria Ara Coeli
Piazza Ara Coeli 9  (near Piazza Venezia)
 They use Valrhona French Chocolate for their luscious Chocolate Gelato.
They use only fresh fruits in their Gelato and also make desserts.