WhyRoam_Header

Gelato vs Ice Cream: What’s the Difference?

By

Gelato vs Ice Cream - What's the Difference? | WhyRoamTravel.com

Mmmmm…gelato!  I LOVE this frozen treat!  Who doesn’t like gelato though?  (Please tell me there is no one. 🙂  With endless flavors available to choose from, this delicious treat should be suitable to anyone’s palate.  By the way, in case you are not familiar, gelato is Italy’s version of ice cream.  Gelato trumps ice cream in taste and texture though because of the differences in the ways the two are made.  Gelato is not just the Italian word for ice cream.  The two cool treats are different.  Gelato is gelato and ice cream is ice cream.  What are the differences you ask?   

  1. Gelato is made with a higher whole milk to cream ratio, which means less fat than ice cream.  Gelato has anywhere from 3-8% fat, while ice cream has 10-12% fat.  The benefit of this?  Less fat means stronger flavors are able to emerge when they hit your taste buds.  
  2. Gelato is churned at a lower speed than ice cream, which means less air is whipped into the mixture.  Ice cream contains as much as 50% air, while gelato only contains 20-30% air.  This is why gelato seems creamier than ice cream.  
  3. Ice cream is served completely frozen, while gelato is served at a slighter warmer temperature.  This is why it’s so fun to eat gelato and lick around the yummy cone or cup before the gelato starts to melt.  

I love walking into the different gelaterias and seeing the fluffy, whipped, (almost) frozen goodness displayed in all its glory of colors, flavors and toppings.  My mouth always starts to water in anticipation as soon as we reach the door to enter inside.  



Another thing I love about gelato is that it is accepted in the Italian culture.  There are gelaterias all over the city to choose from.  Italians treat themselves to gelato on a very regular basis.  Gelato is part of the Italian culture.  It’s accepted and actually promoted to have a regular indulgence in the yummy treat.  Maybe it’s just me, but usually when I went for ice cream in the States it was for something special or a real treat.  Here you don’t have to have a special reason to stop for gelato.  You stop just because it’s the afternoon and you want one.  I love that about the culture!

Another thing I love about gelato is you don’t have to choose only one flavor, you can normally choose up to three flavors at a time.  Yes, I’m an adult, but this always rocks my world.  I always get a childlike giggle inside when the array of gelato is staring back at me from the case and I remind myself that I not only get to choose one flavor but THREE!  I like to try new flavors, but my standard ‘go to’ flavors are Bacio (chocolate & hazelnut), Pistachio, and Stracciatella (similar to American chocolate chip)

Comments

  2. I’ll take two of what you’re having there. Your go-to flavors look like they would be my go-to flavors as well. I never knew the difference in ice cream and gelato, until now!