Counting gelato flavors is like counting stars: an ambitious yet ultimately impossible task, given the seemingly infinite number of possibilities. But why count them when you can taste them? Unit 14 in Italian Through Food lists several dozen of the most popular gelato flavors. In this post, we’ll explore a few gusti [flavors] named after colors, a particular category in that the flavors keep changing.

gelato blu / gelato azzurro / gelato Puffo: While “blue raspberry” is familiar to the American palate, there is no one flavor associated with il gelato blu [blue gelato]. Some producers create the blue color using Spirulina (blue-green) algae, others do so with food coloring. Depending on the gelateria, the flavor of blue gelato may be neutral/cream, a “blend” of other flavors, or similar to licorice. Puffo is the Italian word for Smurf. Some versions of il gelato blu might also be called il gelato Facebook.

gelato viola / gelato porpora: purple gelato is often created with the subtle flavor of violette [violet flowers], as violets are edible flowers. Il gelato viola could also derive its flavor from grapes, as did the purple gelato that won the 2017 Gelato World Tour – German Challenge in Rimini, or be made from a mix of blueberries and maqui berries.

gelato rosa: in Italian, rosa means both pink and rose. Il gelato rosa may indeed take its hue and flavor from rose syrup or fragrant rose petals, but not always. Since il gelato alla fragola [strawberry gelato] is one of the most popular gusti of all time, people sometimes refer to the strawberry flavor as il gelato rosa.

Una rosa di gelato [gelato rose] can be made with any flavor of gelato – give it a google to see the beautiful possibilities. Lucky are those who find a gelatiere [gelato maker] willing to sculpt creamy flowers for their customers!

If this is the kind of learning you like to do, pick up a copy of Italian Through Food!

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