3 TIPS TO SPOT REAL GELATO

Nobody wants to eat fake gelato.

But what in the name of food does ‘fake gelato’ mean? It does not mean that it's made of plastic, it does not harm you and it’s not illegal. But it’s not nearly as good as the ‘real’ one. Full stop.

It breaks my heart to see people enjoying a cheap and worse type of gelato in Rome, where there are many places that can give you access to paradise with its pure and real version. So, let’s learn the tricks and you’ll never eat that crappy imitation!

1. THE SHAPE

It’s fluffy, soft, it looks like clouds, it screams ‘I’m delicious’, it’s inviting you to jump inside with your shoes on… it’s fake. Real gelato is flat, dense and it barely reaches the top of its container. That’s because the fluffier it is, the more air there’s inside; and the more air, the less good ingredients!

2. THE COLORS

It’s bright, cheerful, it looks like a photoshopped picture, it shines in the dark… ok, you got it. It’s fake, made with plenty of artificial colors. Look for these specific flavors: lemon – shouldn’t be fluorescent yellow, should it? A dirty white is what you want to see; pistachios – shouldn’t be glooming clear green, but a sad dark green, almost brownish, like the actual nut. Point is, real gelato has real colors. And the dimmest, the better!

3. THE FLAVORS

Dozens of flavors? Well, either the gelato place is huge, or they are making cheap gelato. A good store should have just the right amount of choices, including the mandatory ones in Rome, of course (pistachios, cream, chocolate, lemon, eggnog). And you know what? The less gelato you see in the containers, the better that gelateria must be! It means they don’t make too much all at once, and that you won’t get the leftovers.

Real gelato @ Giolitti, Rome

Now you know how to spot the fake gelato and make sure you always get the real deal. Last thing: gelato is not the Italian for ‘ice-cream’, they are two different things… you know that, right?

#gelato #realgelato #wheninrome #gelatoisnoticecream