10 Unusual Gelato Flavours to Try This Summer
/Updated: March 2023.
Do you love a decent dessert? Have a thing about chocolate or American Sweets? Whether it’s coffee flavours, bubblegum, or nuts and sprinkles you can find them in your perfect pud, the gelato!
We all think about ice cream as soon as the sun arrives. It seems to be a food whose popularity crosses all age groups!
Gelato is the Italian word for homemade ice cream with whole milk and sugar. The main differences between ice cream and gelato is that gelato doesn't include as much cream. Sometimes egg yolks are included but often not. It's usually lower in fat because it has less of these two ingredients and is softer due to being churned slowly. This means less air gets into the mixture, it becomes more dense. It isn't stored at such a low temperature as ice cream so there are no ice crystals.
Without giving you a science lesson this means, gelato can absorb stronger flavours and the lack of cream means we taste them in our mouths rather than the fat from the heavy cream.
Either way, it's delicious and most of us can't get enough of it!
While in the UK some of us remember our only options being a My Whippy, Gino Ginelli or a Cornetto, Italy has always had a lot of choice.
So if you're heading to Italy this Summer here are 10 unique gelato flavours to try!
Credit: Freepik
1. Dulce de Leche
Sweetened milk that tastes like caramel.
2. Amarena
Fior di latte, a white smooth gelato with sour cherry.
3. Bacio (Kiss)
Dark chocolate gelato and hazelnut.
Credit: Freepik
4. Cannella
Cinnamon.
5. Pesca
Peach.
6. Puffo!
Italians call Smurfs 'Puffi'. So this blue anise gelato is nicknamed Puffo! (One Smurf).
This photo of Gelateria IceQueen is courtesy of TripAdvisor
7. Tiramisu
Yes you can have it in a gelato!
Credit: Freepik
8. Stracciatella
A smooth white gelato with veins of chocolate.
9. Zuppa Inglese
This is a gelato based on the English trifle! No I'm not joking! Who would do this? Some things should stay in the UK!
10) Cassata
Cassata Siciliana is a special cake and one of my Husband's favourite Italian desserts. You can sometimes find it made into a gelato. If you see it snap it up!
Questa foto di Gelateria Pianeta Gelato è offerta da TripAdvisor.
If you would like to make your own ice cream for the first time the Italian gelato way try our:
Chocolate gelato recipe
This is a great recipe and will have you making the best gelato in no time. As you get more familiar with the process you can experiment to suit your taste. This could mean adding less sugar, coconut milk and trying different gelato recipes.
Ingredients:
3 egg yolks
120 g cup sugar
150 g 70% dark chopped chocolate
250 ml fresh liquid cream (unsweetened)
250 ml whole milk
Equipment:
1 medium/ large saucepan
1 electric mixer
1 large bowl
1 ice cream machine
wooden spoon
Cooking thermometer
Method:
Note: If you are using an ice cream maker, prepare the wet mixture a few hours in advance so that it has time to cool in the fridge before putting it in the ice cream maker.
Chop the dark chocolate with a knife. Remove the shell from the egg yolks and mix sugar into the egg mixture until clear. Put to the side.
In a solid bottomed pan, heat the milk over a medium heat with the cream, this is just so it comes to boil.
Add the chopped chocolate and gently heat until you have completely melted chocolate.
To the ice cream maker, add the eggs, stir all the time with a spoon. Keep the flame with a medium-low heat.
Using a cooking thermometer check that the temperature reaches 85 °. Keep it at this temperature for at least 3 minutes, so that the yolks are pasteurized.
Transfer the heated milk mixture to a bowl and let it cool. You can put the bowl in an ice bath by adding another big bowl of ice underneath it.
Once cool pour the mixture into the ice cream maker basket following the programme for your ice cream maker. It normally takes 40 minutes to 1 hour but check halfway through.
When your chocolate ice cream is firm all the way through it's finished.
Put the ice cream in the freezer for 2 hours to rest before serving.
I hope you enjoy making our chocolate ice cream recipe! Gelato is a delicious and simple frozen dessert with a delightfully creamy texture and intense flavour. If you don't have an ice cream shop nearby this is the next best thing!
Frequently asked questions:
Q: Is gelato Vegan?
A: No gelato isn’t vegan as it uses milk, cream and sometimes eggs. However, you can use coconut milk as a substitute for these.
Are you tempted by these flavours?
Have you tried any of the above? Which do you love?
If you're travelling with children this Summer, check out this beach survival kit for families by Passports and Adventures
Credit: Freepik
Credit: Freepik
One of the key characteristics of Italian cuisine is its focus on using fresh, high-quality ingredients. Italian dishes often feature fresh herbs, vegetables, fruits, meats, and cheeses, which are used to create simple but flavourful dishes. If you’re looking for facts about Italy food, you’re in the right place.