In the grocery line the other day, the check out cashier advised us to turn in our usual ice cream pick and try Talenti Gelato. The Sea Salt Caramel was sold out (don’t we always want what we can’t have even more?), so we settled for a flavor called Caramel Cookie Crunch. Even if it wasn’t our first pick, this pint was no disappointment.
The brand traces its roots back to the extravagant banquets Florentine chef Bernardo Buontalenti created for the Medici family. Following the traditions of authentic Italian gelato making, each flavor is handcrafted and made from scratch. Talenti sources the finest ingredients from around the world, including gourmet chocolate from Belgium, whole Tahitian vanilla beans from Papau New Guinea, and Dulce de Leche from Argentina. They even roast their own nuts. Because we source our denim from all over the world, and design and handcraft the final product here in our LA factory, we appreciate a brand that has a commitment to craftsmanship and a dedication to a perfect end product. Talenti comes in flavors like the Caramel Cookie Crunch, Mediterranean Mint, and Caribbean Coconut, but you like fruit better, they also make sorbettos in flavors like Roman Raspberry and Blood Orange. You can pick up a pint at Whole Foods, Ralph’s or your own local grocer.
Eating Talenti also made us curious about the differences between gelato and ice cream, and we learned it’s not just that gelato is from Italy. First, gelato has a lower air content than ice cream, and second, gelato is usally served at a slightly warmer temparature than ice cream. The denser, softer texture that results is why gelato often tastes richer than ice cream. But we were most excited to learn that gelato has a higher milk-to-cream ratio, which yields a lower fat content. In the case of Talenti, all the flavors have between 30 and 100% less fat than ice cream. While it’s still not the healthiest thing in the world, it makes us feel a lot better about indulging once in a while and still fitting into our favorite pair of skinnies.
