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Argentine Caramel Gelato, for those who love dulce de leche. Photo courtesy Brown Eyed Baker. |
| WHAT IT IS: Artisan-quality gelato. |
| WHY IT’S DIFFERENT: Super-high quality at a pretty low price. |
WHY WE LOVE IT: Deep flavor and many great choices. |
| WHERE TO BUY IT: At retailers nationwide. Here‘s a store locator. |
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Three of the four flavors of the new gelato pops. Photo SeriousEats.com.
The four new flavors. Photo courtesy Talenti.
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Talenti Gelato: New Flavors Continue The Tradition Of Excitement
It wouldn’t be National Ice Cream Month if we didn’t feature our favorite gelato/ice cream*, Talenti—the third time it has been a Top Pick Of The Week.
- 2011: The original review
- 2012: New flavors review
- 2013: Now, more new flavors
*Here’s the difference between ice cream and gelato.
Four New Pints, Seven New Pops
Talenti has done a masterful job of creating superb basic flavors like vanilla, chocolate, plus specialty flavors like Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip and Banana Chocolate Swirl, two flavors we love with far too much passion.
The company has more than 20 flavors and recently introduced chocolate-covered ice cream pops in seven of its most popular gelato flavors: Black Raspberry, Caribbean Coconut, Coffee, Double Dark Chocolate, Mediterranean Mint, Sea Salt Caramel and Tahitian Vanilla.
- Argentine Caramel Gelato, a delight for dulce de leche lovers
- Alphonso Mango Sorbetto, a lovely expression, although we have no problem finding good mango sorbet
- German Chocolate Gelato, an excellent interpretation of the flavors of German chocolate cake into a frozen dessert
- Southern Butter Pecan Gelato, perhaps the most elegant butter pecan flavor we’ve tasted
Dulce de leche is made by slowly heating sweetened milk until it caramelizes, changing the flavor and the color. It is popular in South America, particularly in Argentina—hence the name of Talenti’s product, Argentine Caramel.
Alphonso mango, native to India, is considered one of the finest varieties in terms of sweetness, richness and flavor. In April 2007, the U.S. ended an 18-year ban on the import of fresh Indian mangoes, imposed for fear of harboring non-native fruit flies, destructive fungi and other pests that could damage to American crops.
German chocolate is not from Germany, nor was it made by a German. Rather, the creator was Sam German, a British emigré who worked for Baker’s Chocolate in Massachusetts. He conceived it as a more convenient product for home bakers, since the sugar is already added. More about German chocolate.
Butter pecan is a flavor created in the southern United States, where pecans are plentiful. Roasted pecans, butter, and vanilla create the flavor profile; the ice cream is supposed to have a slight buttery flavor.
Where To Find Talenti Gelato
Talenti is available at fine retailers nationwide. If yours doesn’t carry them, speak to the manager.
You can also buy Talenti online, or send it as gifts, from IceCreamSource.com.
The Differences Between Ice Cream &
Gelato
Traditionally, gelato has had two major points of differentiation from American ice cream: higher density and lower butterfat.
- Higher Density: Unlike ice cream, gelato machinery whips almost no air into the product (i.e., much less overrun), resulting in a dense and more intensely-flavored product.
- Lower Butterfat: Traditional gelato is made with milk and only a little cream, whereas premium ice cream contains more cream than milk.
However, unlike with ice cream, there is no U.S. standard of identity for gelato. And just as there is no one style of ice cream in America, there is no longer one style of gelato in Italy: The style of varies significantly by region (more).
Bars, Pops: What’s The Difference?
Check out all the frozen treats in our Ice Cream Glossary.
— Karen Hochman
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