arancino
Arancini
Liotru - CataniaGelato
Another Italian delicacy is the "gelato"
It means Ice cream, except it is not the same thing :). Forget about those perfectly shaped ice-cream scoops. Gelato is much superior. Read below for more information.
For where to go exactly, just stop someone on the street and ask. Any Italian, young or old, will know where to get good "gelato". They do take food seriously, so don't be surprised if they send you across town when there is a place right in front of you, which might be good, but not great!
St. Moritz seems to be quite good, although it might not be the most authentic place. I know there are at least 2 of them, one on via Etnea, the other one I can't remember.
From www.caffegelato.net/ html/gelato.html:
Gelato is Italy’s version of ice cream, with three major differences.
First, gelato has significantly less butterfat than ice cream's typical 18 and 26 percent. Tests conducted by Delaware’s Department of Agriculture confirmed Caffé Gelato’s vanilla and chocolate gelato both have less than 10 percent butterfat.
However, less fat does not mean less taste. With the lower butterfat content, gelato is less solidly frozen than ice cream and melts in the mouth faster. Therefore, the customer will taste gelato’s full flavor immediately.
Second, gelato has a much higher density than ice cream. Ice cream is produced by mixing cream, milk and sugar, then adding air. Manufacturers add air to ice cream because it nearly doubles the quantity of their product. But, it cuts their quality in half. No air is added to gelato. The result is a higher quality dessert with a richer, creamier taste.
Third, gelato is served slightly warmer than ice cream. While both gelato and ice cream are served well below the freezing temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, gelato is served 10 to 15 degrees warmer than ice cream. Because it is less solidly frozen, gelato’s taste is further enhanced as it melts in the mouth.
