Ahhhh Italian Gelato… it’s one of the things people dream of having one day in Italy. Yes all over the world you see Gelato shops that say they are Italian and you try them and yeah they are good, but in the back of your mind you wonder… “Hmmm was this really Italian?”. Well I no longer had to worry… yes I had already spent time getting lost in Venice, saw the most beautiful nude man in the world in Florence and even got dirty with the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but I had yet to have gelato in Italy. I don’t know why, but I think I just wanted it to be perfect and I wanted to make sure it was AUTHENTIC ITALIAN GELATO! I guess it’s all Italian since I am there… what a dummy.
I had arrive in Rome on Thanksgiving day and spent it with some great friends. It was tragic at first but ended up being so amazing. I am sure it will go down as one of the most memorable nights of my trip. On the agenda for Rome with the guys was to eat gelato together. They did some research (see a pattern here, when I don’t have to be the one to plan everything I jump at the opportunity to do nothing) and they were able to find where “The Oldest Italian Gelato Factory” was. As we were walking to it we kinda thought we were lost, but then a local saw that we were kinda lost asked us where we were trying to get too when we said “FASSI” she said “Oh it’s just up the street and so good!”. We were so happy to hear that from a local. So we made our way there and walked right in!
I was so excited to finally POP my ITALIAN GELATO CHERRY!!!
It was going to be epic… and well it was.
—-
—In the Christmas spirit already—
—Cute lil gelato bike… reminded me of the ones I see in Mexico.—
—every flavor you can imagine—
—I wanted them all—
—so nice inside—
—in the end we each got 3 different flavors to have 9 in total—
—OHHHHhhhh SO YUMMMY—
—AWW I LOOK LIKE AN ANGEL—
So where is Fassi and what is the story behind it? – Fassi is located Via Principe Eugenio, 65, off Piazza Vittorio. Fassi (a.k.a. Il Palazzo del Freddo) first opened in 1880 and claims to be the oldest and largest gelateria in Italy. You can check out more info at the website Palazzo del Freddo Giovani Fassi.
So why was it epic… oh cus fuck this is the best gelato I have had in my life. The 3 of us each got 3 flavors so in the end we had 9 flavors to taste. We ended up having melon, mango, strawberry, pistachio, dark chocolate, amaretto, hazelnut, chocolate hazelnut and praline. Sounds like a huge mix, but seriously each flavor had it’s own perfect taste. So now I would like to know where you have had the best gelato of your life in Italy at home… where? So this is where I popped my Italian gelato cherry… where in Italy did you pop yours (if you have)? I’m about to have dinner, but instead I think I want gelato… To bad I’m not in Italy anymore.
I had my first Italian gelato when I was 11 years old and my family went to Italy for the first time (after that, we were all hooked and went at least once a year to Italy!) and I think it was in Viareggio, a little beach town near Pisa. Jess and I ate our way through Italy this last spring and our top three places for gelato were Lucca, Monterosso al Mare and Florence.
Ahh that sounds amazing… so lucky ou grew up with Italy being so close to you. Now I wish I had tried Gelato in more than one place. Oh well this one was perfect and I know I will be back to Italy one day!
I had a lot of good (and a couple of bad) gelato experiences in Italy. The best by far was in the little town of San Gimignano in Tuscany, who apparently have “the best gelato in the world”. I don’t know if that’s true or not but its the best I’ve tried 🙂
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Hmmm I always wonder when a store touts they are “the best blank in the world”. Can any one place really be the best in the world? Sorry your comment just got me thinking that Dean. Ahh I guess not all gelato is going to be great in Italy some have to be bad.
Ummmmmm I had the best flavor when I was in Italy last month and I can’t remember what it was. Awesome post!!!
Andi of My Beautiful Adventures recently posted..France & Italy With Trafalgar Tours: Day 4
Bahaha I love that Andi, cus yes I had to ask the guys what flavors we had. I had already forgot.
Oh, I bet that must have been a good popping of the gelato cherry! lol I haven’t been to Italy yet, so I haven’t tried gelatos there, but when I was in Prague I tried the gelatos there and fell in love with them! I was addicted!
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That sounds so dirty Norbert… lol!!! Oh you need to go to Italy… it’s so awesome yet expensive! Damn I didn’t try gelatos while I was in Prague… now I wish I had.
Florence has the BEST gelato.
On my families first time to Italy back in 1997, I remember my dad needed to break a 20lira but instead of asking someone, he popped into a gelato shop and bought some, just to break his bill. Classic!!!
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Damn it Rebecca, I was in Florence and didn’t try any gelato. Oh that is awesome that your dad did that… I wouldn’t forget that either.
I’ve been studying abroad in Italy, and I think I’ve eaten my way through almost every gelateria in the city, which is quite a feat, I know.
But the first time I had gelato here I had it at San Crispino, which is located by the Trevi Fountain.
But I think by far, the best gelato I have had in the city so far is at Gioletti, which is also often voted the best ice cream by local polls, and their chestnut was apparently a favorite of Pope John Paul II
Oh I love that Nicole… “eaten my way through almost every gelateria in the city”<<– I so wanna do that one day!!! Hmm I never heard of any of these shops… I did throw a coin in the Trevi, so I know I will be back one day & when I do I will have to do a better job of eating gelato!
my family thinks I’m exaggerating. I’ve been here since September, and I think I’ve had gelato almost every single day.
And the Trevi fountain is one of my favorite spots in Rome, I admit it. Especially now that most of the tourists have gone home.
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Oh wow I love it! Yes I loved the Trevi fountain and can see how its even better with out all the tourist.
What can I say… We were there to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event. So glad we were part of the, um, experience.
Seriously, though, the gelato was incredible. It changed the way we look at ice cream blah blah blah. And YOU were the smart one who ordered the fruits. I still dream of that melon.No joke.
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I know crazy y’all were here to witness this…lol!!! Ahh yes I loved my fruits… but umm I loved the milky ones too. Damn I want so now… like bad!
Jaime, I am amazed you waited so long before trying gelato. I could never have done that. On my very first day in Italy (in August, 2005), I had gelato three different times in three different places! But that was nothing compared to the day that I ate gelato *seven* times in one day (in 7 different places–including simple stands on street corners to full-on shops like the one pictured in your post).
During my two weeks in Italy, I ate gelato at least three times every day. Gelato is definitely my favorite Italian food! My favorite gelato ever was at a neighborhood shop in Florence (don’t remember the name–would have to dig out my journal to find it). We wandered through a very dark neighborhood in order to find this gelato shop. I had a VERY unique flavor there–rice. It was sweet and delicious, and the best gelato I’ve ever had! 🙂
Camella, I know after reading all these comments I feel so guilty… I have no clue why I waited so long! I love the way you did it… that is how I should have done it… just pigged out everywhere trying every flavor. Next time I am in Italy I will do it your way cus I think it is the right way! Hmmm now I wonder what a RICE flavor ice cream would taste like… interesting.
You can’t beat real Italian gelato. Its soo good!
Agreed… it is so damn good!
We love gelato so much. It’s a daily necessity when we are in Italy. I always want to try the different flavours but Simon sticks to chocolate. He knows what he likes!
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Erin, yeah Im the type of person that would love to taste EVERY flavor… and then settle on one!!! Its good to try and then maybe settle for a bit before switching it up again!
Haha! I love the title of this post. You always come up with creative headlines. I’m happy you enjoyed your first Italian gelato!
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Thanks Christy & Scott, I always try to come up with clever ones, sometimes it’s hard…lol!!!
oh wow.. looks delicious… i want pistachio or the usual chocolate 🙂
Flip they were so good… ah I want every flavor!
Ohh, you brought back memories! I loved the gelato in Venice so much!! I simply honestly could not belive how good it was. I hadn’t tasted anything like it in my life. And now I find there’s so much gelato in the US as well as other countries. I tastes just as good as I remember the Italian gelato tasting. I wonder if it really is up to par with the Italian stuff or if I just like it so much that I think it is.
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Ahh isn’t it amazing Sabina when you have it for the 1st time and just fall in love with it? I think we tend to like it soooo much that we think its just as good!!!
I’m surprised that despite the “popping the cherry” references ALL over, you didn’t actually HAVE cherry gelato.
My favorite flavor is Chili Chocolate. The best of that I have had was in Florence at a spot that I couldn’t find again. Most of the other renditions of it do not put in enough chili. There needs to be a burn for the chocolate and cool creamy to sooth. Though oddly the place in the Freiburg train station is not bad with it.
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Nope no Cherry… really don’t like that flavor. I have never heard of CHILI CHOCOLATE… what does that taste like? Oh & yes I hate when you have something amazing and later never find again. Seems to happen often when you travel.