What to Do in Florence: The Gelato Guide

Gelato is Italy's regional variant of ice cream. Let me tell you -- it is far from overrated. Its history goes back to frozen desserts in ancient Rome and Egypt (when they brought ice and snow from the mountains to make it). It was served at banquets in the Medici court in Florence, but gelato did not become immediately popular and accessible until the 1920s and 1930s, after the first mobile gelato cart was developed in northern Italy. Containing less butterfat (4-8% compared to 14% in ice cream), gelato also typically has less sugar content as well -- perhaps the argument for being healthier? It's like a soft ice cream that contains significantly less air, so the flavor ends up being denser, tastier, and just plain delightful. :)

Here are some helpful hints when on your search for the real gelato in Italy:

THE RULES

1. Don't go for the obvious.

The beautifully decorated gelateria that's conveniently located next to the Uffizi Gallery or the Duomo? The one called Michelangelo's Gelateria (I'm making the name up) with hoards of tourists and boatloads of brightly colored flavors? Sorry -- but chances are, it's not going to be cheap, or tasty, or healthy, or authentically fresh. Go for the ones that may look like a hole-in-the-wall, or where the bins are covered with tin lids. The less the gelato available, the better, as it indicates that it's probably made fresh everyday. Ask to try a flavor before getting a wad of it in a massive cone: "Posso assaggiare. . . [the flavor]?" is a fairly simple way to ask to try the flavor, and you'll start on the path of becoming a gelato expert.

 Florence is one of the renowned cities in Italy for gelato --  don't settle for less.

2. Cone or cup? (Cono o coppetta)

Hate to break this to my anti-cone audience, but in my experience -- if you want quantity, go for the cone. It's usually almost always in greater amounts for the equivalent cost of the cup. If you want the pure gelato flavor, though, then the cup will give you that unmarred tasting of the classic Italian gelato. Personally, I started off always getting the cup, but I've learned that some flavors taste pretty great (or dare I say -- enhanced?) when combined with the crunchy dryness of a cone. Choose wisely.

3. Try new flavors.

Confirm how many different flavors you can choose, and ask what flavors generally go well together! Try something different each time (despite how tempting it can be to come back for your 'newly deemed favorite') and that way, you'll have an assortment of gelato to form a colorful picture collage upon your return from Italy. In addition, places that use the best ingredients will also use only what is fresh and in season, so take advantage!

Lastly, my recommendations:

1) La Carraia (first gelato picture above and also the one below) is one of my personal favorites. I direct all tourists in Florence to La Carraia. They've got a particular, mysteriously tasty flavor aptly named as the "La Carraia special" -- but it's one of the most popular. I also recommend the biscotti (cookies) but really, you can't go wrong here. The picture at the very top is "melone".

2) Another one is Gelateria della Passera. It's slightly more difficult to find, and I usually refer to it as the "hole-in-the-wall". The consistency is lighter, especially for their fruit flavors, but they are also freshly made every day. I highly, highly recommend the coffee flavor (Starbucks is put to shame). Both these places start at €1 for a massive scoop, and at La Carraia, €1,50 can get you two flavors.

Have I inspired you to go get gelato yet? (To my readers in the United States -- don't fret. You won't be the first I've inspired to make a run to Target for some pseudo-Italian gelato. :)

When done right, eating gelato in Italy will complete your experience here.
Get your gelato, enjoy some great conversation, and appreciate your existence on the planet for a few moments. :)

(yogurt & nutella)

What To Do In Florence: Artisan Chocolate Fair

If you ever happen to be in Florence in February, check out the Fiera del Cioccolato Artigianale (aka, the chocolate fair). It lasts 10 days and is an exhibition of Italian and foreign chocolatiers. With samplings (that I happily participated in), shows, and workshops, this is quite the event in Florence. 

Drool over these pictures that I took on Valentine's Day and discover your inner chocolate-loving self.

(In case I didn't mention it, Italians have a minor obsession with pistachio. It's a common flavor to find for gelato (haven't tried it yet) and is on the equivalent level of, say, hazelnut -- or in Italian, nocchio. So pistachio is a common theme you'll see.)

Walking closely to the chocolate ensures that you'll get plenty of sampling offers. Try them all! The rich and flavorful chocolate will get to you through a variety of textures, sweetness, and meltiness in your mouth. Fortunately, that was enough for my taste buds, and I miraculously survived this without making any purchases. It wasn't as pricey as it could've been, but it definitely wasn't your average affordable chocolate. :)

The pistachio with chocolate is surprisingly a great combination. 

As we venture on, the chocolate starts getting more specialized. 

Chocolate in the form of guitars, scissors, tools...

As usual, technology is not too far away. A chocolate iPhone or tablet? Check.

Beautiful macaroons were not exempt from this fair. They're €1 each, which is almost half of what it costs at the L'Audre here in Florence.

Want chocolate that looks like pizza? Don't worry, they have that, too.

Now, these strawberries. If you are within 8 feet of this stand, you will smell them. Fresh, ripe, and sweet strawberries at their finest moment. It was a tempting €4 to spend for a cup with chocolate and whipped cream!

At this point, I've become the extreme tourist, getting into all sorts of awkward photography positions to capture these photos. So focused on my lens, I didn't realize the guy at the stand was trying to also get into the photo…

… so I took another one with him in it. Like most Italians, he was very enthusiastic and friendly.

I might be turning into a chocolate snob. The chocolate fair really set the ambiance of Valentine's Day here in Florence. Coincidence? I think not.
Now go and eat some chocolate. San Valentino felice!

"Chocolate is the first luxury. It has so many things wrapped up in it: Deliciousness in the moment, childhood memories, and that grin-inducing feeling of getting a reward for being good."

Day in Florence: it's a small world

Florence never ceases to amaze me with its multitude of unique little shops.
So many artisan shops exist here and have such history connected with them. Yesterday, I decided to explore Florence without a destination in mind; my goal was to simply to soak in the atmosphere, as I had a free morning before class.

I ended up meandering into the Bargello Museum -- which focuses on sculptures and houses works by Michelangelo and Donatello. Although I'm not into sculpture as much as painting, I garnered a greater appreciation and was in awe of the works displayed. 

At the end of my perusing, a group comes in and I recognize my tour guide from Fiesole, Paola, who lives in Firenze. It was a pleasant surprise to run into an Italian that I knew, and she explained that she was taking a class -- this was a field trip. It's interesting because I knew she had already finished school, and worked in the tourism business. It seems like everyone here studies art and tourism in school as a basic curriculum.

After some more wandering, I happened to see a cafe that I recognized would take our meal cards, so I went on in and ordered a cappuccino and croissant. Can I just say -- delicious? What a wonderful way to start a mid-morning. My first cappuccino in Italy did NOT disappoint, and it's no wonder they don't have Starbucks here (or even Subway, for that matter). I don't know how I'll survive when I have to go back to Ohio...

The croissant isn't much to look at, but when I asked them to pick for me, he deemed this one his favorite. There's this raspberry jam in there that has the perfect sweetness and balanced texture. Most of the food in Italy is just so fresh and delicious! 

(I'll need to practice my food-describing skills..)

What's coincidentally weird here, is that I recognize and see the man who works/owns this printing shop near school (who I just saw the day before). He's chatting with the owner of this cafe, and all I'm thinking is, what are the odds…

To me, Florence seems like a city, bigger than my hometown, and I never happened to run into people I  know even in my town. Later in the day, I run into another guide I had just met that day, but at the Leather School in Florence. It was just one of those days!

I actually enjoyed spending my morning alone. I didn't think I would like sitting in a cafe by myself, but I stayed busy and really got to reflect and enjoy the experience without the distraction of someone else. I'm learning that although I'm a huge planner, I do enjoy being spontaneous and venturing off without a destination sometimes. :)

This, by far, is the best panino I've had in my life. It doesn't look like much, but it's from a shop called La Dispensa. Everything is simply there: bread, meat, cheeses, etc. You simply ask for a panino, and choose what you want. It's all fresh: you get to watch him cut the cheese of your choice, the turkey, tomato, etc. There are so many options that it's actually quite overwhelming!

I wasn't even hungry when I got it, and was intending to save it for later. Let's just say that I completely devoured it within the next 15 minutes! :)

Gelato -- finally!

Recently, I've been trying to figure out the balance between maintaining a tight budget while spending smartly, when warranted. I held out for two weeks until I tried my first gelato ever in Italy.

Why?

Before coming here, I researched 3 main places that were recommended in terms of price, whether it's for locals or tourists, and of course, how good the actual gelato is.

The one most highly recommended was La Carraia, and I'm telling you -- it's fate. It happens to be a 3 minute walk from my home, and it was actually closed with traditional steel doors… until February 1st.

Prices start at €1,50 here, and I am quite impressed! I've heard many disappointing gelato stories (the touristy, expensive, not-tasty kind) and I am so glad I waited! 

I chose the flavor that seemed to be popular (looking at the amount that's already gone -- in the photo below). Torte e formaggio: otherwise known as cheesecake. It was so soft and creamy and comparable to Jeni's (for my Columbus/Ohio readers) with an Italian twist to it. Absolutely amazing.

You just have to savor it.

I'll probably end up trying just about every flavor here by the time I have to leave. Money is tricky thing, everyone. Save a few euro by walking (versus taxi or bus) and spend it on gelato! It'll be so worth it. :)

For my fellow study abroad students: once again, this is La Carraia. Come out from the school, but instead of crossing the bridge, turn left. You'll see it on your left, adjacent to the following bridge, aptly called Ponte La Carraia. :) 

Enjoy!

Edit: You know it was good gelato when that night you dreamed (literally, as in after falling asleep) that you went back multiple times already...