The Art of Gelato

Ahhhh April. Spring is in the air, the grass is greener, the trees begin to leaf flush (yeah, it's a new word, I learned it this morning, it means the trees get their new leaves), the wild flowers are in bloom, and the afternoons are just a little bit warmer.

The outside world looks so inviting, birds chirp, students play volleyball during their lunch break, the sun is finally shining after a some-what rainy March. We all watch the outside world from our tiny, dim classroom in between our lectures, almost like little kids looking into a candy store: our legs leaning against the wall under the window, our noses pressed to the glass, trying to get as close as we can to the sunlight.

On those sunny and warm days, we leave our small classroom around 4 or 5 pm. After a long day of learning about reactive lymphadenitis and anti-viral therapies, we walk outside the building and are hit by the warm spring air and hot sunshine... and about 9 times out of 10, someone asks, "Gelato?"

It's PERFECT gelato weather... finally! We've made it through the damp and cold winter, and are rewarded with these beautiful days, where the temperature is in that sweet spot: you can enjoy your gelato without having it melt in your hands.

Now, the perfect gelato is carefully constructed. There is an art to gelato, and everyone has a different technique. I've polled my classmates who are future doctors and gelato experts. Let's see what they deem to be the perfect gelato.

The first thing you have to do is choose your gelato vehicle: cup, cone, or (for the Sicilians in the group) the brioche. Everyone has opinions about the cone. Most want a nice, crunchy, hand-made waffle cone. Others prefer the wafer type. Others couldn't care less and prefer the cup. And then there's the brioche. That's a different kind of gelato experience. Eating your gelato out of a fresh, right-out-of-the-oven brioche that is light and fluffy is not only a heavenly experience, it's a meal. It's a 10/10--my only complaint is that I can only get it in Sicily. That being said, in Rome, I love a good, crunchy, waffle cone.

I've experienced them all: Cup, Cone, and Brioche

The most popular flavor combinations, in no particular order.

Next, you have to choose your flavors. Usually, everyone opts for a 'small' gelato and chooses two flavors. If you're hungry, you can get a 'large' gelato and get 3 flavors. This is where opinions get heated. According to my 17 experts (me excluded), 13 of them prefer two flavors 'alle creme', or cream based flavors, while 4 of them prefer to mix a crema with a frutta (fruit flavored). Most are of the opinion that you absolutely can not mix a cream and a fruit, but what about dark chocolate and strawberry? That does sound good. One of the classic, probably most common combinations is hazelnut and pistachio -- two cream flavors that are delicious together. Personally, I think your flavor combinations depend on the day, your mood, and where you're getting your gelato. I love yogurt + blueberry, Bacio + pistachio, or dark chocolate + strawberry... and maybe my most controversial combo mint chocolate chip (After Eight) + with any other chocolate-y flavor.

You might think that your choices stop here, but no. Your masterpiece is not yet finished. You have to decide if you want panna (whipped cream) on top. Italian whipped cream is less sweet than what we're used to in the USA, and it pairs quite nicely with gelato. The majority of my classmates are all Team Panna. Three of them prefer their gelato without, which is fine, we won't pass any judgement. And the final three are just after my own heart: Team Doppia Panna. If you've read my other blog posts, you'll recall that doppia panna means that they'll fill your cone with whipped cream, scoop on your gelato, and then top it off with some more whipped cream. It's honestly the best -- hear me out -- because your gelato won't leak through your cone, AND when you get to the crunchy cone, it's paired with some smoothly whipped cream.

My goodness my mouth is watering. It's a good thing that today is a nice, sunny day. We finish our lectures at 5 pm... and a gelato sounds good.

Gelato, anyone?

All the flavors my classmates love!