It's all about quality for me. When visiting a new city or town in Italy, I almost subconsciously scan the streets and lane ways for gelato options. Firstly, I search for words like 'naturale', 'biologico', 'artigenale' all alluding to organic, natural gelato that is made on the premises. Sometimes the smallest, most unassuming shop or cafe has the best quality product. Then I might take a glance in the window. What does it look like? Are there tubs of gelato piled high in perfect domes with smarties sprinkled on top or perhaps with the odd Hawaiian mini beach umbrella poking out? Does the pistachio look bright green, or green at all for that matter (a dead give-away for articial colouring)? How does the mint look? Is it bright green? Is there strawberry in winter? Are there endless flavours? All of these things can ring alarm bells so move on, you'll soon find a better option.
In Lucca and Pisa in Tuscany, the better option is definitely De'Coltelli. The tiny shop front in a small narrow lane way in Lucca has hand written notes scrawled on the window indicating the day's flavours. There are a selection of 2-3 granitas, perhaps 6-8 gelato flavours and maybe 5 sorbet choices. Freshly whipped cream produced from locally sourced milk is offered as a complimentary addition for flavours like chocolate or coffee. Typical flavours include almond (almond granita or gelato made solely from Sicilian ground almonds, no almond essence), pear and pepper, kiwi grown locally, cassata (vanilla with candied fruits), chocolate with orange rind and salt, blood grapefruit (one of my favourites!), carob, pistachio made from raw pistachios (not roasted), torrone made from crushed hard nougat, ricotta with honey and pine nuts and of course coffee, vanilla and chocolate all made from fresh ingredients. While the basis of sorbets and granitas is fruit, sugar and water (usually 50% fruit, 25% water and 25% sugar depending on the ripeness of the fruit), fresh whole milk and carob 'flour' is added to gelatos and sometimes egg. Carob acts as a natural thickener and stabiliser for the gelato and replaces the need for any artificial additives.
We were lucky to be invited to their factory, or I should say workshop, in Pisa where we were greeted warmly by Gianfrancesco Cutelli and his staff. In a small room at the rear of their store 4 or 5 machines were housed. One machine was around 70 years old and was used as a vertical mixer for granita production. For gelato production, a more modern machine with horizontal mixers was used to enable more air to be added to the mixture, giving the gelato a creamy texture. The other machines were solely for heating (for pasteurisation) and cooling the mixtures and the remaining processes were all manual, by hand. We saw whole fresh kiwi crushed and added to water and sugar ready for the production of sorbet. We tasted the raw ingredients, all of which were of the highest quality, locally sourced (where possible) and organic. Each flavour available was generously offered to us for tasting and not once did I feel that giddy, nauseating sensation of a sugar peak. The flavours were perfectly balanced, not overly sweet and flavourful. With every mouthful I tasted the fruit or key ingredient, not the sugar.
During the next 5 months as we work our way through Italy, I will be sure to visit the best gelaterias Italy has to offer. Here are some of my favourites so far:
Lucca and Pisa: De'Coltelli: via San Paolino 10 Lucca / Lungarno Antonio Pacinotti 23 Pisa
San Gimignano: gelateria Dondoli: Piazza della Cisterna 4
Florence: Perche no: via dei Tavolini 19
Rome: Gelateria del Teatro: Lungotevere dei Vallati 25 / Fior di Luna: Via della Lungaretta 96
Mirabella Eclano: Gelateria Aloha: via Nazionale Pianopantano
Siena: la Vecchia Latteria: via San Pietro 10
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