Gelato is Italian ice cream, made with more milk than cream and churned more slowly than American ice cream. This gives gelato a denser, silkier texture and more intense flavor. When you taste gelato, you'll notice it feels smoother on your tongue and the flavors seem brighter: the chocolate tastes more chocolatey, the pistachio more nutty.

Gelato is also served slightly warmer than regular ice cream, which makes the flavors pop even more. In Italy, gelato shops called gelaterias display their flavors in metal containers, often mounded into beautiful swirls and peaks. Traditional flavors include stracciatella (vanilla with chocolate chips), nocciola (hazelnut), and fruit flavors like lemon or strawberry made with real fruit.

While ice cream and gelato are cousins, they're not identical: gelato has less air whipped into it and contains less fat, which is why it tastes more concentrated and feels denser in your mouth.