Monday 12 May 2008

Gelaterias de Roma

There’s no real proof that ice cream was actually made in Italy although both Florence and Sicily have been staking claims since the 16th century. Rumours have it that 3000 years ago, the chinese liked to flavour snow with fruit but whereever the truth lies, one fact still remains; ice cream always tastes better in the Eternal City.

Rome’s Gelateria Giolitti (via Uffici del Vicario 40) is one of the best in the city and has long been a haunt for artists and politicians. The chocolate and nougat Coppia Olimpica, shaped like an Olympic torch that’s filled with zabaione (eggs and Marsala fortified wine) and the coffee based Coppa Mondiale (in the colours of the Italian flag) are two of the specialities.

Il Palazzo del Freddo Italian ice cream in Rome(via Principe Eugenio 65) is the oldest and largest ice-cream parlour in Italy. Their specialities are Caterinetta which is an unusual chilled cream cake named after the French Catherinettes who were independent, unmarried woman of the 1900’s and Sampietrino, a delicious choc-ice textured like the old Roman cobbled roads.

If you really want a treat, head to Il Gelato di San Crispino (via della Panetteria 42) who make the wonderful zabaglione ice cream which is prepared with a 20 year old liqueur or the delicate Armagnac cream, made with a prized 1985 Laberdolive.