Whether in winter or summer: zabaione, gianduia and stracciatella!
How can you give up a tasty artisanal gelato? Let’s indulge in the three timeless flavors of Italian gelato by the best gelato shops in Rome.
Italian artisanal gelato
Artisanal gelato is a product that we Italians are particularly fond of. There is no season that holds it back! In fact, for us going for a walk and enjoying a good artisanal gelato is the rule. It also represents a moment of sharing. Buying the typical tub of multiple flavors of Italian gelato and taking it to the homes of friends or relatives is always the most popular choice. Artisanal gelato is produced only with quality raw materials and with the right freezing method. Industrial derivatives and powders are absolutely prohibited. A true artisanal gelato must be fresh and must maintain all the organoleptic characteristics of that ingredient intact.
The most beloved gelato flavors in Italy
Among the most beloved gelato flavors in Italy we definitely find pistachio. This flavor, a mix of sweet and salty, has always enchanted adults and children. In second place, obviously, is chocolate. Dark or milk, it is always welcome. Then come flavors like cream custard or hazelnut, which stands out if made with the incredible Italian hazelnuts. One of the most appreciated is the Tonda Gentile of Piedmont IGP and the Sicilian one. We then continue with the very fresh lemon and strawberry, equally delicious. Many Italians do not disdain the most particular combinations (which are always within the limits of decency), such as pear and ginger, dark chocolate and gorgonzola cheese, or even figs and walnuts. Let’s keep in mind that the mantra always remains one and only one: gelato must be fresh.
The three timeless flavors of gelato
We have dozens of types of gelato, but the three timeless flavors are the following: zabaione, gianduia and stracciatella. Many tourists struggle to choose a flavor among the various labels lined up inside an Italian gelato shop. In fact, they often end up ignoring the flavors they don’t know and miss the chance to taste a little masterpiece. So, let’s find out more about these three delicacies.
Zabaione flavor
Zabaione is a sweet cream with egg yolks, sugar and usually Marsala liqueur. The origins of zabaione cream are still a mystery. It seems to come from the Venetian culinary culture of the Middle Ages, when there was a sweet and alcoholic drink called sambajon, very similar to eggnog. Then, from a drink it transformed into a dessert. During the Renaissance, people considered it even a refined dessert. Since 1900 it has become one of the favorite creams of Italians. To accompany biscuits or dry sweets or as a tonic, thanks to the decidedly energetic ingredients. It is often associated with Christmas, because especially in Northern Italy it is appreciated hot. But zabaione is also delicious cold and that is why zabaione gelato remains one of the most beloved.
Gianduia flavour
One of the most important recipes in the Italian’s confectionery tradition. Gianduia is a chocolate cream with cocoa and hazelnuts. The funny thing is that this delicacy was born following a serious economic crisis that affected cocoa imports. In 1800, Turin was the largest Italian center for chocolate production. But due to the economic crisis following the defeat of the Savoy kingdom, chocolate became a luxury item. So in 1852 the two master chocolatiers Caffarel and Prochet tried to replace part of the cocoa with the round hazelnuts from the Langhe and created some chocolates. It was the famous Turin carnival mask Gianduja who, for the first time, give to the people of Turin these amazing new chocolates. Thus was born the gianduiotto chocolate and the related gianduia flavor, which today we also find as one of the most loved gelato by Italians.
Stracciatella flavor
Soft fiordilatte milk cream and crunchy chocolate flakes. The perfect mix for this gelato flavor, one of the favourite of adults and children. Of more recent origins, Emilio Panattoni in 1961 created in Bergamo the stracciatella. Panattoni was a restaurateur with a passion for pastry making. He decided to add hot dark chocolate to the fiordilatte cream during the churning process. The hot chocolate solidifies, because of the temperature, and gets shredded by the blades of the gelato machine, creating chocolate shards. In fact, stracciatella means shredded. Panattoni was inspired by a typical Roman dish, very popular in his restaurant, called stracciatella, indeed. It is a soup in which raw egg is poured into boiling broth and coagulates, tearing. This amazing dish inspired the restaurateur so deeply that he invented stracciatella gelato. And we are so grateful!
The best gelato in Rome
The best gelato in RomeHere is a list of our favorite gelato shops in Rome, where you can find the best three flavors of Italian gelato: zabaione, stracciatella and gianduia.
Otaleg (Via di S. Cosimato, 14a)
Fata Morgana (Piazza degli Zingari, 5)
Fior di luna (Via della Lungaretta, 96)
Gelateria del Viale (Piazza G. G. Belli, 9)
Gelateria Torcé (Viale Aventino, 59)
Pellegrino Gelateria Monteforte (Via dei Banchi Vecchi, 148)
Neve di Latte (Via dei Banchi Vecchi, 140)
Gunther gelato (Piazza di S. Eustachio, 47)
Gelateria Fassi (Via Principe Eugenio, 65)
What are you waiting for? Come with us and try one of the best gelato in Rome!
