Exactly What Is Gelato?

Gelato is similar to ice cream and was originally perfected in Italy. While you can get gelato all over the world, many purists believe that it's only truly gelato if you get it in an authentic Italian gelateria.

Differences Between Gelato 
And Ice Cream:

The primary differences between gelato and regular ice cream are very important. First off, gelato is a lot denser than ice cream. Your regular everyday ice cream has quite a bit of air in it, which allows the finished product to nearly double in size. As you can imagine, this makes the flavor weaker, which means you need to eat more of it to get the same flavor effect. Gelato is much richer and creamier than ice cream, hence the major punch of flavor that is in every little bite.

Less Butterfat:

Gelato also has far less butterfat than standard ice cream. Regular ice cream has anywhere from 18-26 percent butterfat. Gelato has about 10 percent, depending on the flavor (and of course, which toppings you include). The difference comes from the fact that gelato is not made entirely with ice cream but consists mostly of regular milk. This doesn't compromise the taste though. Since there is less fat, gelato does not need to be frozen as cold as regular ice cream, meaning that it actually melts in your mouth faster. Many folks believe that too much butter fat in ice cream actually masks the true flavor behind a "fatty" taste. This lingering fat flavor makes regular ice cream very rich, but does not lend anything to the flavorings of the dessert. Gelato, having less fat, gives you a more pure flavor experience.