While travelling through Italy in June this of this year, I literally consumed my own body weight in gelato.  I had it every single day I was there… at times even for breakfast.  So that gives you an idea of how much I looooooove it.

Now I know what you’re thinking… isn’t gelato just a fancy Italian name for plain ol’ ice cream?  No it certainly is not!  There are a few key differences:

1. Ice cream has a minimum of 10% fat, while Gelato is made with a greater proportion of whole milk to cream, so it only contains about 5 to 7 % fat.  That means a more guilt free treat, woohoo!
2. Gelato is also churned at a slower speed to ice cream, making it denser because not as much air is whipped into the mixture.
3. Ice cream is typically served frozen, while gelato is stored and served at a slightly warmer temperature.
4. Because it contains less fat, it doesn’t coat your mouth in the same way as ice cream does, therefore making the flavours more intense.

So there you go guys & gals!  ** Info sourced from About.com, so it’s totally legit...

So on Sunday, after a pretty intense game of putt-putt over in Mouille Point, Bjorn and I decided to spoil ourselves a bit at Gelato Mania on Main Rd, Green Point.

Seriously, how pretty is this place!?

Friends of mine had mentioned this place to me before and I’ve also driven past it lank in the past.  But that was before I realised what exactly gelato was and how it would totally change my world forever… so I very stupidly never bothered to check it out!  Aaargggh.

But I now know that Gelato Mania is amazing!  They’ve got you covered on absolutely everything, from every topping under the sun to handmade sugar cones and more:

Can you feel the sugar high just looking at that display?

And then check out some of the flavour options:

BOOM! In your face losers!

The really cool thing is that you can get a FREE taste of any flavour before committing to a whole scoop.  Sweet.  I was so excited, I felt just like this little guy:

Actually, is that my reflection in the glass?

By the time we had selected our flavours, the shop was buzzing:

Obviously there are a lot of gelato converts here in CT…

I opted for the Mina Pinguina (which has a Ferrero Rocher taste to it) & Lindt Almond.  Bjorn went for the Turkish delight & Lemon Sorbet:

Happiness is…

All 4 flavours rocked my world.  But my absolute favourite was that white Lindt Almond one.  Mmmmmmm.  A single scoop will cost you R24.95 (but I think it gets slightly cheaper the more scoops you add – can’t quite remember now) – so yes, a bit pricey – but once you’ve tried some you will agree that it’s worth every cent.

Gelato Mania is a family run business.  Apparently the famiglia  get together like once a month to come up with new flavours.  They compete for who can come up with the best one and then that one gets featured in store.  My favourite, Lindt Almond, is one of those and will likely only be featured for a limited period.

One of the little sayings on the tables in the shop states that their most important ingredient is love.  And yes, I know that sounds totally cheesy, but I believe it damn it!

Oh, before I go – it’s also important to mention is that they do cater for diabetics and the lactose intolerant.  So there’s happiness for everybody!

xxx