Belissimo! : Gelato Hunting across the streets of Italy

If I asked you what your comfort food was, what would you say?
Cookies?
Chocolates?
Ice-cream?
Chocolate AND Cookie Ice-cream??

I think I can vouch for the majority of the human race when I say that a giant tub of Ice-Cream is the KING, no, wait; QUEEN of mouthslurpingly tempting desires!!

I’m generally one to avoid sweet sugary things. I’m not a desert person and to have a full tub of ice cream? All by myself? No sir. Not a chance.

But the streets of Italy are magical. And so are the roadside Gelato parlours which often entice with their vanilla waffle-cone scents wafting through the pebble streets. The girls I was traveling with began their hunt for a Gelato parlour almost immediately upon landing. And I thought to myself – I’m so not going to go cray-cray when I spot one. Maybe I’ll steal a quick few bites to know what the fuss is about but I can guarantee it won’t be extraordinarily special.

So as I “hmph-ed” away on Day 1 of our trip down the streets of Rome, with a billion locals (and tourists) basking in the evening glow upon the Spanish Steps, there on the corner of one of the bylanes stood a gelateria with the most beautiful and magnetic array of natural hand churned Gelato! My friends of course walked right in without a second thought and started demanding for a few (okay a bunch!) of tasters. They couldn’t decide which one was better because each one was so uniquely delicious and fresh that they stood there debating for at least 15 minutes till they reached a decision.

I really don’t need to specify at this point that from that day forward, until the last possible moment in Italy when it was probably physically impossible to grab a gelato, each of us made it a mandate to have a different flavour every single day !! Pistachio, Mango, Berries, Lemon, Hazelnut, Peach, Coconut, Mint, Banana, Ferrero Rocher – you name it they got it. I would personally suggest that you try out their fruit flavours because boy are they fresh and delicious!! It’s like nothing you’ve had before. It’s akin to eating a fruit plucked straight out of a tree infact. Oh and a universal favourite? – Tiramisu! Italy + Coffee + Ice-cream = HEAVEN. Enough said.

That’s actually a friend’s. I think she chose caramel?

So fresh, so soft and so delightful. I think my taste buds still hold the memory of the pistachio flavoured gelato I had when I was taking a stroll down the road which lead to the Duomo in Firenze (Florence). If one could take them home on a 12 hour flight, I think these would have made the best souvenirs for your loved ones from Italia.

However, it’s very easy to get duped into eating factory-churned “gelato” which aren’t as authentic as they ideally should be. So, make sure you google the list of the best gelaterias in your area in Italy and then head on out to get addicted to this variant of Ice-Cream which would leave you wanting more with every bite! I know I do.

If this isn’t a good enough reason for you to place Italy on the top of your travel list, then what is?!!

Cheerios!