gelato. 

i heard gelato in italy was good, but i had no idea how good it would be. gelato is now my absolute favorite dessert (aside from my dad’s homemade ice cream). it tastes fresher than ice cream and the flavors are much more intense. there are gelato shops and stands all over the streets of italy. the colorful mountainous creamy, icy goodness looks so tempting, but a friend warned us of settling for the touristy shops. unfortunately, we weren’t able to go to the place she recommended, but we found three homemade and authentic gelato specialty shops. the common factor for finding these place was that they were located away from touristy centers and more importantly, the gelato was not displayed in towering hills but actually hidden inside metal canisters to avoid melting. 

1. gelateria de’ coltelli in pisa was by far the best. the brightly colored modern place had very unique flavors. i like combining a creamy with a fruity, so i got scoops of macadamia nut and apple cinnamon. 
2. gelateria delle passera in florence was cute and homey. i got brunelleschi (mascarpone cheese, honey, pistacchio) and kiwi. i never had a cheese flavored ice cream before but it was an interesting sweet and savory mix. 
3. il gelato di san crispino in rome was rated best gelato in rome by ny times in 1996. they are famous for their san crispino flavor, highlighted by its honey ingredient, which my brother got. i got grapefruit which had a nice sparkling and refreshing taste.