Source: Food Network

I may be late to the party but I had my first taste of Gelato and I loved it on June 19th. It was a way of celebrating on that hot day. Of all my 50 plus years I had not tried it. But I can say I am now a fan. 

Eliza and I decided to visit Dolce Neve-Local Italian Gelato. We had never been there before. It was a nice place for us to visit and enjoy our treat. I had the Chocolate Orange and Salted Caramel and Eliza had Pistachio and Salted Carmel. Both were delicious. But looking back I wondered what was the difference between gelato and regular ice cream, which I eat a lot of :). 

In case you were wondering, the difference is Gelato is richer and denser than American ice cream. Some people describe gelato as more elastic. Ice cream is milkier and creamier. Both gelato and ice cream contain cream, milk and sugar however authentic gelato uses more milk and less cream than ice cream and usually doesn’t use egg yolks, which is common in ice cream. American ice cream comes in the ice cream trade as Philly-style, which contains milk, cream, sugar and flavorings. The other style is frozen custard, which starts with a base that’s made with egg yolks. Most premium ice creams are  typically frozen custard.

There is a flavor enhancer used. Italian Gelato is served at 10 to 20 degrees F, while ice cream is served at 6 to 10 degrees F because it’s easiest to scoop in this range. We’re better able to taste foods that are warmer, and this rule holds true for gelato.

Well enough with the technical stuff. I must say I prefer both. Eliza prefers Gelato. The Chocolate Orange had small bites of orange in the mixture which made the taste even more explosive. Ice Cream and Gelato are now my two favorite summer treats and for  all seasons. 

What do you prefer?

@dolcenevegelato @dolce neve

Damita Miller-Shanklin