Good gelato is truly life-changing, but even the most hard-core ice cream aficionado can have trouble picking out which shops aren’t playing around, and which are trying to cut corners.
According to Eugenio Morrone, the ingredients are the most tell-tale sign of a shop’s quality: “A good ice cream does not have many ingredients — milk, cream, sugar, egg yolk, pistachio, hazelnut or fresh fruit if you make sorbets” — no colourants or extra additives.
Morrone should know: His shop, Cannolo Siciliano, in a nondescript Roman district, has been declared home to the world’s best ice cream.
Another sign, he says, is how the gelato is served: Solid, round scoops betray the use of too much water in the ice cream, which makes it harder. You’re looking for the loose lumps commonly seen in Italy.
“You don’t want your gelato to be wet on top, but soft and creamy — and you need know-how to make it that way,” says the 35-year-old.
Other ways to make sure you enjoy your gelato experience? Don’t get too many flavours, be ready to pay more, and go with traditional flavours — no scoops of Nutella or Oreo, advises the gelato expert. – dpa
