Ice Cream: How to Recognise the Perfect Ice Cream

When “yummy” just doesn’t cut it: seven things you should know about a superior ice cream.

1. What distinguishes ice cream from sorbet? The first contains either milk or cream, while the second uses only water.
2. Gelato should have a smooth look and even surface. There shouldn’t be lumps of any sort.
3. The colour should never be too bright, as this indicates the use of colorants. Especially fruit flavours should have a very natural shade to them.
4. When taking a bite of ice cream you should never have to ask, “Which flavour is this?”: it should always be easy to tell exactly what you are tasting.
5. Observe the “body” of the ice cream. It shouldn’t be runny, icy, pasty or rubbery. Perfect ice cream is velvety.
6. Ice cream should neither be too light nor too heavy. It should be creamy, but not fatty or buttery. It shouldn’t melt too quickly or stay hard for too long.
7. Artisanal gelato shouldn’t contain hydrogenated vegetable oils or fats. At the first lick, your tongue should remain clean, not sticky, which indicates the presence of these fats.