Originally posted on June 19, 2012
ADMIT it: You enjoy eating ice cream during the rainy season as much as you do during summertime. After all, ice cream is really a timeless, no-borders comfort food that young and old alike indulge in whenever they want to feel good. But, now, with all the choices that are presented to us, our tastebuds become more sophisticated, and in the process we do pick our favorites according to our own taste preferences.
Personally, aside from frozen yogurt, I happen to love gelato. I love gelato not only because it offers a wide range of unique, gourmet-ish flavors but also because it’s a lot lighter and healthier than regular ice cream. This is because gelato is not just the Italian translation for ice cream. There are stark differences between a gelato and an ice cream in the sense that most gelatos are made solely with milk and no cream (some brands do contain cream, but the percentage of milk is significantly higher than cream)and therefore gelato has a lower fat content as well. Gelato is also much denser than ice cream because it is churned at a slower pace than ice cream and thus incorporates lesser air. While ice cream has approximately 50% air in it, gelato only has between 20 to 30% air. The flavors are also much more intense and, unlike ice cream, which is stored completely frozen, gelato is kept in a semi-frozen consistency, which explains why it is easy to scoop when you order from a gelateria.
For the month of June, InterContinental Manila made Fiorgelato Pure Italian Ice Cream available in all of its food outlets, including Café Jeepney and Gambrinus Bar. Produced daily using the highest quality of natural ingredients imported from Italy and 100% pure fresh milk, Fiorgelato actually has more than 40 flavors and each scooping station or coffee and gelato outlet offers at least 20 flavors at any given day. According to its chief operating officer (COO) Noel Castro, Fiorgelato has very little air whipped into it and low butterfat content. It is also heavier, denser and almost double the weight of most regular ice creams. Rich in protein, calcium and vitamins, its gelato also has no water content and uses only natural flavoring. Its Mango Delight, for instance, contains chunks of real mango, and its Chocolate Hills tastes like pure dark chocolate, which real chocolate connoisseurs love. Fiorgelato has also whipped up unique gelato flavors such as Champagne Gelato, Kahlua Gelato and Bailey’s Gelato to offer in its coffee and gelato outlets for special promotions.
For the collaboration with InterContinental Manila, Fiorgelato comes in five delicious flavors handpicked and styled by artist-consultant Rachy Cuna in tandem with InterCon’s Pastry Chef Darmo Guevara: Chocolate Hills, Ube Special, Tsoko Nut, Mango Delight and Coco Lychee Sherbet. Each order comes in three scoops arranged beautifully with embellishments of fresh fruits, twirls of fine pastry, cookies, chocolates, syrups and coulis, for an affordable P220. These five flavors are among Fiorgelato’s best-selling gelato flavors nationwide.
While this is the first time that Fiorgelato has tied up with a hotel for such a special promotion and was intended to be made available only for the entire month of June, the reception to the gelato promotion at InterContinental Manila this early has been phenomenal. So, management has decided to make it a permanent feature in all the food outlets of the hotel, especially at Café Jeepney, where diners can enjoy it for dessert after a hearty lunch or dinner, or with a cup of freshly brewed coffee to while the time away.
Marvelous gelato overload, anyone?
