Ice Cream Vs. Gelato

About a month ago, my wife and I returned from a trip to Italy. I had heard of gelato, but that was the first time I tried it. It was unbelievably good.

Now I offer you the same question I asked people in Italy:

Other than how it is served, what’s the difference between ice cream and gelato?

It cannot be the same (which is the answer I mostly received).

Thanks – Joe Burns

PS – I went to Little Italy in NYC and ate at three stands. It just wasn’t the same.

I think FloChi is right. There's no (or at least not much) milk in gelato. Gelato is much more refreshing on a hot day than ice cream is because it doesn't leave a layer of film on the inside of your mouth.

I also have to agree that the best gelato is, indeed, to be found in Italy. Like Joe, one of the first things I did after a trip to Sicily was to try and find some good gelato here in the US. The stuff here isn't bad, but it is a disappointment compared to the consistent quality found in Italy.

Actually, the Italian dessert that contains no milk or cream is granita, not gelato. I've had a coffee granita that was so cold and refreshing that I reacted like the people in those Zima commercials.

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Live a Lush Life
Da Chef

I, too have fond memories of Italy & gelato there. Vanilla is actual flavor there, not, as in American ice cream, the absence of some other (usually artificial) flavor.

Here's a site to try:
http://bene-gelato.com/

gelato - [ jeh-LAH-toh] The Italian word for "ice cream," gelato doesn't contain as much air as its American counterpart and therefore has a denser texture. An Italian ice cream parlor is called a gelateria.


Or if you're more adventurous (or have an Italian translator):
http://digilander.iol.it/GOOFY/gelati.htm

From the little I can make out, gelato is milk-based, not water based...


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Sue from El Paso
members.aol.com/majormd/index.html (http://members.aol.com/majormd/index.html)

I always thought the difference was that ice cream is milk based, whereas gelato was water based. So Gelato is closer to a sorbet than an ice cream.

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What's the ugliest part of your body?
Some say your nose, some say your toes,
But I think it's your Mind - Frank Zappa