What’s your favorite place you have been to? What’s your favorite place to travel to for vacation? What’s your favorite country? What’s your favorite town? There are so many What’s your favorite questions to answer. This week, we want to ask you a very important question: What’s your favorite, Coffee or Gelato?
In Italian, the word congelato means frozen, and congelare means to freeze. Gelato is the Italian version of ice cream. Like ice cream, gelato contains milk, sugar, and flavorings such as fruit or nuts, but it has less cream than ice cream and usually no egg yolks.
Whether you’re ordering gelato in Italy (or at an authentic gelateria elsewhere), you should know gelato-related terminology. If you need a serious dose of caffeine, order affogato. You’ll get a scoop of gelato doused in espresso. If you want to make your gelato extra decadent, opt for gelato con panna to get gelato topped with whipped cream. And for an Italian ice cream sandwich, order brioche con gelato.
If you want authentic gelato, don’t buy it from a shop that uses ice cream scoops. Instead, gelato should be scooped with a spade or paddle. The flat surface is better equipped to gently scoop up your flavor of choice. “Not only can you work gelato with the spade to soften it up, but there’s a whole artistry,” Morano said.
Who wouldn’t want to have their first taste of gelato in Italy? From the first memorable taste of genuine gelato, most people might want to bring home that fresh, flavorful dessert back to their homes.
Coffee is on every street corner, available in every bar and café in Rome. They call it some different names, so if you’re ordering coffee in Italy, keep these tips in mind:
“Un café” will get you a shot of espresso. It’s a strong, dark, and bitter shot of coffee. “Un café Americano” will get you a watered-down espresso. It’s as close to a regular cup of coffee as it gets, and then you can add sugar.
Don’t make the mistake of ordering “un latte,” because you will get a funny look and then receive a warm cup of milk. That’s what latte is in Italian — milk. Instead, “un café macchiato” is coffee with a stain of milk. You can also order a cappuccino in Italy but only do so in the mornings for breakfast. The Italians believe that the milk will fill you up, so you don’t want to drink in the afternoon. Otherwise, you won’t be hungry.
Another excellent coffee drink is “un café shakirato.” It’s a shot of espresso, lightly sweetened and shaken with ice until it’s all foamy.
Let us know whether you are looking for some great tasting Italian gelato or an awesome cup of Italian coffee. We can help you make this wish come true.
Tillie and Joe James
Tillie James Travel LLC
804.997.9460 | info@tilliejamestravel.com
