What is so special about Italian gelato?

No trip to Italy would be complete without tasting some delicious local gelato. Gelato is a must when staying in our Italian villas. Gelato actually has quite a fascinating history, and we thought we’d share some of our favourite facts about this cooling delicacy today. The word ‘gelato’ is derived from the Italian word ‘congelato’ which means frozen. Although, gelato isn’t frozen to quite the same temperature as your typical ice cream, often being between 5 and 15 degrees Fahrenheit warmer. Gelato is typically sold in gelaterias, which you’ll find all over Italy. Some of the most popular flavours of gelato in Italy include chocolate hazelnut (bacio), vanilla rippled with chocolate chips (stracciatella), lemon (limone) and pistachio (pistachio). One of the best features of gelato is its creamy, smooth consistency, which is due to the lower air content, which can be up to 50% less, meaning that the frozen delight melts faster giving you a richer taste. The typical ingredients of gelato are fruit, sugar and milk, and tend to have less fat and more flavour than regular ice creams.