Italian Ice-cream – One of Life’s Simple Pleasures

Legend has it that Marco Polo brought ice cream to his native Italy after making the discovery on his travels through China. However, evidence suggests that as far back as the ancient Persian Empire and the Arabs of the 10th century, snow was being mixed with dried fruits and flavoured with rosewater to create the very foundations of this refreshing treat. Regardless of when or where it was invented, life without ice cream in Italy would be somewhat unimaginable.



It took a few centuries to perfect the ‘flavoured snow’ recipe, adding milk or cream to create what we now know as ice-cream and gelato. There is an important difference between the ice cream of America and the UK and what Italians call gelato. Gelato is an Italian art form. Instead of the cream that is found in ice-cream, the Italians use milk to make their gelato. This produces a much smoother consistency that is richer and tastier in flavour and much lower in fat content. The perfect excuse to have another scoop or two.

Gelato is a huge fixture in Italy throughout the year and it is the only country to have its own ‘ice cream’ university, located in Bologna. This makes a lot of sense, considering a favourite past time for Italians of all ages is to meet for an ice cream most evenings as the sun goes down. Along the cobbled stones throughout nearly all of Italy there are a steady flux of ice cream parlours, known in Italy as ‘gelaterie’ and displaying an exotic and colourful range of delicious gelato. Flavours range from the sensible to the extravagant. You can find apple, lemon and double chocolate next to lavender, passion fruit, rhubarb and whisky.



There are rules that must be engaged when eating gelato the Italian way. Always order ‘due gusti’ which translates as two tastes. Having just one flavour is a social gelato crime in Italy. The best combinations include mixing a fruit flavoured gelato such as raspberry or cinnamon with a cream based flavour such as vanilla or flower of milk. The second rule is to always look out for the colour of the gelato. By rule of thumb, if the pistachio is bright green or the banana a vibrant yellow, it has more than likely had artificial flavourings added to it. The best gelato has a more subdued colour, showing it has been made with real fruits. The third rule is to look out for the signs that state ‘fatta in casa’ which means home-made and guarantees your gelato will taste even fresher.



So if your idea of an Italian luxury holiday involves falling in love with Italian masterpieces, admiring intricate frescoes or absorbing the history of Rome’s Coliseum or Florence’s gothic Santa Maria Duomo, make sure you also take time to relax in a picturesque Piazza, indulge in a decadent due gusti of gelato and enjoy the true Italian way of life.