Italy is a paradise for food fans, and the year-round sunshine that you’ll find in the south of the country makes it a perfect haunt for fans of ice cream (known as gelato in the Italian tongue).
Unsurprisingly, the country was recently awarded a prize for having the world’s best gelato, and most cities will have ice cream parlours with a history that stretches back for centuries. The only challenge is finding one that you like, and picking a flavour.
Great variety!
Italian gelato places are starting to offer an increasing array of flavours. They used to be mostly fruit based but, as with their American counterparts, many Italian gelato outlets have expanded their ranges in recent years to include flavours found in favourite sweets, chocolate bars and other treats.
Of course, if you’re looking for a traditional experience, then it’s probably best to stick to strawberry, chocolate and vanilla; at least that way you know that you’ll be eating the same products that people have consumed for hundreds of years.
Being a prudent buyer
Being ripped off is an increasingly significant concern for tourists visiting major Italian cities, and unfortunately, this can happen around many of the country’s biggest tourist attractions such as St. Mark’s Square in Venice and the Colosseum in Rome.
To reduce any chance of this happening, try to choose a gelato outlet that is further away from the main attractions. You probably won’t have to go far to find the right place; it’s generally worth having a little search on the internet around the areas that you’re planning to visit beforehand, to make sure that you’re going to find an authentic place.
Try to sneak a glance at what the locals are ordering, and feel free to copy them. The odds are that they know the range and are ordering flavours that they know are delicious.
