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Gelato in Italy

Gelato in Italy

Old Jul 18, 2018, 4:18 am
  #46  
 
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Originally Posted by oh_lol
I've been trying to understand from reading this thread, but what are the best ways to tell gelato and ice-cream apart?

My Italian girlfriend doesn't believe me that Italian's would, in her words, 'produce fake gelato'.
a) taste both and find out!

b) Either your Italian girlfriend is too young to know, or she's not ever lived in Italy
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Old Jul 18, 2018, 7:14 am
  #47  
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Originally Posted by snic
Originally Posted by Perche
The second best gelato in the world was voted to be a place in Schwabach, Germany, which is a suburb of Nuremberg, called German Eiscaf De Rocco. I don't speak German, and suspect that means Rocco's German Ice Cafe.
It's not really translatable, as neither "German" nor "De" are German words. But "Eiscafe" should be translated as "ice cream shop" or "ice cream parlor", not "ice cafe".

It's really a very silly name. Possible American version: Ice Cream Shoppe Italiano von Rocco.
As this thread has been bumped, I thought I'd chip in - it's not a silly name at all, as a quick Google search reveals.

Firstly, the "German" probably comes from some typo in a translated text, since it doesn't actually appear anywhere in the name. Secondly, not sure why "De" needs to be a German word. "Rocco" certainly isn't one.

It would simply translate as "De Rocco Ice Cream Cafe" (Eiscafe De Rocco | Schwabach 1966)
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Old Jul 23, 2018, 3:35 am
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Originally Posted by oh_lol
I've been trying to understand from reading this thread, but what are the best ways to tell gelato and ice-cream apart?

My Italian girlfriend doesn't believe me that Italian's would, in her words, 'produce fake gelato'.
Although I claim to be no expert when it comes to the consumption of 'gelato' I have lived in Italy, so feel qualified to comment:

According to Webster's and the OED, gelato is a soft, rich Italian or Italian-style ice cream. Compared to the ice cream commonly supplied in the US and UK, gelato is denser (with less air) and has a lower fat content (amongst other recipe variations).

In Italy the distinction is between 'gelato industriale' ie. mass-produced ice cream; and 'gelato artigianale' ie. gelato made in relatively small quantities by 'artisans' (using nonna's ancient recipe no doubt). In my experience the stuff made in the kitchen behind the 'gelateria' is far better, but that's not to say that Italian mass-produced 'gelato industriale' something at which to turn your nose up. The distinction is also the case for sorbets.

However, I've yet to find a good ol' 99 anywhere in Italy, from Trapani to Turin to Trent to Trieste.
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Old Jul 23, 2018, 9:45 am
  #49  
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Originally Posted by oh_lol
I've been trying to understand from reading this thread, but what are the best ways to tell gelato and ice-cream apart?

My Italian girlfriend doesn't believe me that Italian's would, in her words, 'produce fake gelato'.
i have to agree with KLouis on this one. Where in Italy was your Italian girlfriend from before she moved to the USA? If she is from Italy, it’s hard to believe that she doesn’t know that like many parts of the world where the economy is driven by tourism, fake and counterfeit things abound.

Try getting authentic Florentine leather in Florence. It can be done. My day to day work valise and weekend overnight bags are made of Florentine leather. However, the majority of tourists leaving there with what they think is crafted artigianal leather are leaving with a purse made in China, or increasingly, in a sweat shop, by immigrants, in an industrial part of Tuscany.

A few years ago there was an article in the paper indicating that Italy had reached to 50% tipping point in pizza. It pointed out that 50% of the pizza eaten in Italy is not made in Italy, but is imported from a foreign factory, usually in Germany or England. I’m not talking about 50% of the pizza that tourists eat. I’m talking about 50% of the pizza eaten in Italy by Italians, and all others together.

It’s time consuming to make pizza. It takes a minimum of six hours to let the dough rise, but preferably 24 hours. That’s why they don’t serve pizza for lunch in Italy, except in certain special places in Rome, or in Naples where some places let the dough rise for 48 hours.

Most men don’t cook in Italy, and most wives work. The wife doesn’t come home and say, “I think I’ll whip up a pizza for my husband.” No, they stop at a supermarket and buy a frozen pizza, usually made in England. Most restaurants do the same thing. A truck delivers the frozen pizza in the early morning. Some places with pizza buy the dough and just put sauce and topping on it, but making a pizza is unusual outside of Naples, and some special places.

For gelato, I don’t know what to say. Gelato is not the Italian word for ice cream. It’s a different product. Talking about ice cream and gelato together is like thinking that custard and sorbet are the same thing. The only thing they have in common is that they are both cold.

Wikipedia, Miriam-Webster, Oxford English Dictionary are wrong. You will have a hard time finding gelato even in Italy. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying ice cream. After all, it’s cream, lots of egg yolk, sugar, artificial flavor and coloring, lots of preservatives and emulsifiers, then whipped to twice its size by incorporating lots of air in it, then deep freezing it. Gelato doesn’t have cream, egg yolk, preservatives, air, etc.

Its like confusing sherbet with sorbet, or custard with ice cream, ice cream with frozen yogurt, or gelato with any of these. Gelato isn't Italian ice cream. It's made out of milk, not cream, so how can it be called ice cream?

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Last edited by Perche; Jul 23, 2018 at 11:33 am
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Old Jul 23, 2018, 12:30 pm
  #50  
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Originally Posted by oh_lol
I've been trying to understand from reading this thread, but what are the best ways to tell gelato and ice-cream apart?

My Italian girlfriend doesn't believe me that Italian's would, in her words, 'produce fake gelato'.
PS: if Italian girlfriend doesnt believe that there is a preponderance of fake, inauthentic food, show her this article. https://www.google.com/amp/messagger....10074640/amp/

The headline says Italians prefer German Pizza. It goes on to say that the most popular pizza in Italy is made in Germany, using mozzarella made in Ireland. If you stay near the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Colosseum, unless youve prepared yourself well with good research, you are bound to be eating frozen or inauthentic gelato, pizza, pasta, etc. .
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Last edited by Perche; Jul 23, 2018 at 12:38 pm
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Old Jul 23, 2018, 12:36 pm
  #51  
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Originally Posted by Perche

PS: if Italian girlfriend doesnt believe that there is a preponderance of fake, inauthentic food, show her this article. https://www.google.com/amp/messagger....10074640/amp/

The headline says Italians prefer German Pizza. It goes on to say that the most popular pizza in Italy is made in Germany, using mozzarella made in Ireland. If you stay near the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Colosseum, unless youve prepared yourself well with good research, you are bound to be eating frozen, inauthentic gelato, pizza, pasta, etc.
Bingo!
"Good research" is key. Because frankly, there's no better place to stay in Rome than near the Pantheon, etc. You just have to do a little work on where you eat.
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Old Jul 28, 2018, 4:53 pm
  #52  
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Thanks for this post! I'm currently planning a trip to Italy for next spring and we probably would have ended up at a regular ice cream shop at some point if I hadn't seen this.

It did make me wonder how my go-to "gelato" place here in San Diego stacks up. I'm not exactly sure if it is true gelato, though, considering that it sticks up somewhat over the bins in the display case (but doesn't seem to stick up that much) and that it was more spherical in my cup than I'd have expected:





(that said, it's still pretty good as far as dessert items go)
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Old Jul 28, 2018, 11:23 pm
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"
A few tips to tell if a gelato shop is selling the real thing. Any yes'es and it should be a red flag
Are there 101 different flavours?
Are the gelatos brightly colored?
Is the pistachio bright green?"

To that I would add, is the banana yellow, the strawberry and cherry flavors red?
OTOH, if it tastes good, I don't see a problem. Enjoy!!
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Old Jul 30, 2018, 2:25 pm
  #54  
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Originally Posted by Perche
Gelato is not the Italian word for ice cream.
Try telling that to Duo, the Duolingo owl!

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Old Jul 31, 2018, 8:40 am
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Originally Posted by tmiw
Thanks for this post! I'm currently planning a trip to Italy for next spring and we probably would have ended up at a regular ice cream shop at some point if I hadn't seen this.

It did make me wonder how my go-to "gelato" place here in San Diego stacks up. I'm not exactly sure if it is true gelato, though, considering that it sticks up somewhat over the bins in the display case (but doesn't seem to stick up that much) and that it was more spherical in my cup than I'd have expected:





(that said, it's still pretty good as far as dessert items go)
Thats regular ice cream.
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Old Jul 31, 2018, 8:55 am
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Originally Posted by iapetus
Try telling that to Duo, the Duolingo owl!

Those apps that promise you can learn another language in two weeks dont work very well. After hobbling by translating for Google, back and forth from English to Italian, and vice versa, I pretty much gave up after becoming a senior translator. Some things just dont translate.

Since gelato is not not ice cream, how would you translate gelato? You cant.

These are regular problems. During a hard rain we say its raining cats and dogs. Thats a head scratcher for an Italian. How can dogs come down from the sky? Instead, here during a hard rain its said that it is raining sinks and bath tubs, at least things that have to do with water.

In the USA if you are greedy, you are described as, someone who wants to eat their cake, and have it too. That makes no sense translated to Italian. In Italy you describe someone who is greeday as, he wants his wife to be drunk, but his wine bottle to be full.

Gelato and ice ice are different things. Gelato is hard to find. Even in Rome, where I am now.
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Old Jul 31, 2018, 12:50 pm
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Originally Posted by Perche
Those apps that promise you can learn another language in two weeks dont work very well.
I agree. But that's not really how I use Duolingo. I view every such claim by a language app maker very skeptically.

Originally Posted by Perche
Since gelato is not not ice cream, how would you translate gelato? You cant.
That's exactly my point! I was annoyed when I tried to translate 'gelato' as 'gelato' and it marked me wrong.

Originally Posted by Perche
Gelato is hard to find. Even in Rome, where I am now.
So here's the thing: I'd love to have some gelato artigianale, but I've given up. Is that wrong of me? I think I'd have to go very far out of my way when I'm in Rome (I usually spend my time between Piazza Navona and Spagna when I'm not at work) to get the real thing. This thread has kinda convinced me that it's almost impossible.
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Old Jul 31, 2018, 1:01 pm
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Originally Posted by iapetus
I agree. But that's not really how I use Duolingo. I view every such claim by a language app maker very skeptically.

That's exactly my point! I was annoyed when I tried to translate 'gelato' as 'gelato' and it marked me wrong.

So here's the thing: I'd love to have some gelato artigianale, but I've given up. Is that wrong of me? I think I'd have to go very far out of my way when I'm in Rome (I usually spend my time between Piazza Navona and Spagna when I'm not at work) to get the real thing. This thread has kinda convinced me that it's almost impossible.
Looking for guidance here. I also pretty much stay between Campo di Fiore and Spanish Steps when I'm in Rome.
I've had "gelato" at Giolitti, San Crispino, and Grom.
Did I actually have gelato?
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Old Jul 31, 2018, 1:48 pm
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Originally Posted by Perche
Thats regular ice cream.
Thanks for the clarification. It's still pretty good for ice cream, in any case.

Will have to try others around here and see if any are even close.
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Old Jul 31, 2018, 8:16 pm
  #60  
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Some recommendations for gelato in Rome

From Katie Parla, dated June 19, 2018:
Guide to the Best Gelato in Rome, Updated Summer 2018
And still useful is her older article linked on the bottom of that post:
Judge a Gelateria in 7 Easy Steps

From Tavole Romane, dated May 12, 2018:
Le migliori gelaterie artigianali di Roma: Mappa del Gelato quartiere per quartiere
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