Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream, but is it really ice cream?

I recently tried it for the first time and was surprised that it really doesn’t taste like traditional ice cream. The texture is much more soft and it is extremely flavorful. But what makes it different than ice cream?

Less Fatty

Gelato is used with more milk than ice cream and has less egg yolks, if any. This lowers the fat content in gelato in comparison to the 10 percent fat content found in traditional ice cream.

Churned Slower

Gelato isn’t churned as fast and hard as ice cream is. The process of slow churning makes gelato dense and the flavors really shine through.

Served Warm

Unlike ice cream that is served at 10 degrees F, gelato is served 15 degrees warmer, which gives it that stretchable texture. If it was served at the same temperature as ice cream, it would freeze up and probably be inedible.

Next time you’re in an ice cream store and can’t decide if you want gelato or ice cream, just remember that they’re pretty much similar with just a few differences, so you win regardless.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/28/ice-cream-vs-gelato_n_3333016.html