A couple of months ago, while I was grocery shopping in one of the local supermarkets, I stumbled upon this ice cream brand. I wanted to try something new, aside from the beloved Haagen-Dasz. There were several tempting flavors sitting in that freezer, so making a decision on which one to buy wasn't going to be easy. I finally chose Pistachio, not only because it looked good and not that many brands have this flavor, but also because it reminds me of childhood. When I was a kid, this was a popular flavor around here, sold almost everywhere. However, in the recent years, I haven't seen it as often as I used to.
I got home, had some dinner and then went for the ice cream at full speed. (Yeah, trying to be patient when you have Italian Gelato in front of you doesn't really work, does it?) When I first tasted it, I couldn't believe how yummy it was! You know what instantly came to mind? Remember that t-shirt that Madonna wore in the Papa Don't Preach video? It said: "Italians do it better". Well, when it comes to Gelato, they certainly do.
When I was a teenage girl, I used to dream (like many other girls) that one day, this charming Italian man was going to come on his white horse...or in his upscale Bentley car and sweep me off my feet with good looks, great cooking (Italian cuisine...hello?) and a beautiful house in a beautiful country. And Gucci shoes. And by Gucci shoes I mean Gucci shoes AND handbags. Clothes too. And a walk-in closet of everything that Tom Ford designed for Gucci, while he was Gucci's creative director.
Never happened. Probably this ice cream is as close as I'm going to get to having an Italian lover of my own and frankly, I am not disappointed. Italian Gelato is some of the best sex I ever had :P
I admit I don't really have time to actually go out for ice cream. You know, go some place nice, sit at the table and have scooped ice cream. I prefer buying from the store and throw it in my freezer, so that whenever I am home and my cravings start kicking in, I have it on hand right then and there.
This is the real deal. Smooth, creamy and full of flavor. I went back to the store the next day and got more flavors: chocolate, hazelnut and vanilla. They all turned out to be just as good.
Here's some eye candy for you :
Cioccolatissimo: "a silky smooth Italian chocolate Gelato sumptuously flavored with chocolate sauce and finished with a selection of white, milk and dark chocolate curls".
Vaniglia del Madagascar: "velvety smooth Italian Gelato flavored with Vaniglia del Madagascar", one of the finest vanillas on earth. This is basically a creamy smooth milky vanilla gelato, true to the real flavor.
Bacio: chocolate and hazelnut gelato, garnished with crunchy whole hazelnuts on top. Yum!
Cappuccino: "Cappuccino Gelato flavored with coffee and garnished with a dark chocolate tablet"
Affogato all'amarena: Vanilla Gelato with cherry sauce and sweet cherries on top.
Panna Cotta: a replica of the traditional Italian dessert, flavored with caramel sauce and finished with caramel curls.
Fragola: "smooth Strawberry Gelato finished with soft candied strawberries"
Pistacchio: Pistacchio Gelato with crunchy toasted pistachios on top.
Now on to the "technical details": the ice cream is called Siviero Maria (depending on the country you live in, you might find it under the name G7 or one of their other labels). In Romania, you can find it at Carrefour hypermarkets. (I've also seen it at Kaufland supermarkets.)
It's very reasonably priced, so what you get here is a great value for money. Around here, it's cheaper than Nirvana, Haagen-Dasz, Carte D'Or and other brands that sell boxes of the same quantity (500 grams/pint). I have tried every available flavor in the line, except for Stracciatella and Tiramisu, both of which I haven't been able to find yet, but I bet they're heavenly.
So what you need to do now is go get this ice cream and tell me how you like it. Honestly, this one and Haagen-Dasz are the only ones I ever buy anymore, of the brands currently available in the local stores. Keep in mind that this is Italian Gelato, so it is going to be a bit softer than regular ice cream and it's bound to melt more quickly, therefore make sure you don't take ages to get home from the supermarket. That chit-chat with the next door neighbour will have to wait until you put this awesome little thing in the freezer.
I'm giving this 5 stars out of 5. Highly recommended. Definitely "foodgasm". For full flavor, take it out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes or so before eating.
As far as packaging goes, I'm okay with it. The lid is easy to take off/put on but also sturdy and the box is not made of the cheap plastic that I've seen with other brands. It's decent and it doesn't look like it was made in someone's garage. I personally like the see-through packaging because I can actually see what I'm buying.
Photos and info from the official website.
I am not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned above.
