And just because we could, and we’re in that funky period where both gelato and cioccolata calda, hot chocolate, are both acceptable and desirable, we ordered a cioccolata fondente con panna – dark hot chocolate with whipped cream. Delicious.(Ok, so we didn’t finish the hot chocolate, but we tried).

Then I was in a sugar coma for the rest of the evening.

Would you have gone for a double-header? Gelato and hot chocolate, or two gelati or two hot chocolate?

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Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• Tour del Gelato: Chocolat a Milano
• Tour del Gelato: Choco Cult a Milano
• Join the Tour del Gelato!!

We were wandering the crazily intense and crowded backstreets of Chinatown in Bangkok. It felt like being in Las Vegas (flashing lights, various pings and dings from the mountains of brightly colored plastic toys lining the narrow alleys and dimly lit passageways leading to a maze of other stalls and alleys), combined with being in a stadium (people shoulder to shoulder, scarce centimeters between you and the person in front and behind, and advancing only a few inches at a time).

After spending about an hour in the alleyways, we exited to one of the bigger main streets, where the push carts of the food sellers could maneuver easier and slightly more breathing room was allowed.

Then I saw a boy walk by with a bun full of what looked like creamy ice cream. The first thing that I thought was of my beloved “Gelato in a Brioche” – ala Siciliano. I stopped the boy and communicated through a few words and gestures that I wanted a picture. The ice cream was piled on top of a hot dog bun that had been split down the middle. The sprinkle of peanuts on top did me in.

I would have gotten one myself, but at that moment we were urgently searching for something savory, so I filed it away to try later.

Would you take a bite?

More on Thai ice cream in a bun: Lee Zalben (from the Peanut Butter & Co.) calls it the portable sundae – Serious Eats

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Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• Woman at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Thailand
• Street Food in Thailand
• 2011 Year in Review in Pictures

This week I made a discovery about a new gelateria near me in Milan. I’m especially excited since the gelateria closest to my house is average, but not great.

Il Gelato gelateria in Milan is from the same group of gelatai (gelato-makers) who created Il Gelato in Rome, in EUR. I was fortunate enough to speak a few words with Lorenzo Franchini and Alessandro Meco in the Milan location that opened in June 2009. They were recently included in Gambero Rosso’s July edition that examined Italian gelato in-depth. You can flip through some pages of the Gambero Rosso July issue (Italian only) via that link- their particular feature is on page 37.

Gambero Rosso estimates that there are 35,000 gelaterie in Italy – so we have quite a few more to sample for the Tour del Gelato!

Two things distinguish Il Gelato from other gelaterie – one is they offer 100 flavors. Very few gelaterie have the creativity or space to do so. The other interesting thing Il Gelato offers is gusti salati – which often get translated as “savory flavors“, but I would suggest they be called “bittersweet flavors” as they are always sugar-based and sweet, but not as sweet as you might expect from traditional gelato flavors.

Some of their savory/bittersweet flavors pictured belwo: crema ai peperoni (cream of bell pepper), habenero picantissimo (hot hot pepper), crema di sedano (cream of celery) and frittata di cipolle (onion frittata). ù

Other flavors I saw were: Philadelphia e noci (yes, the cream cheese and walnuts), wasabi, gorgonzola, and taleggio, aceto basalmico e Miele (taleggio cheese, balsamic vinegar and honey).

Though they have 100 flavors, they often rotate in new flavors and solicit feedback from customers on developing new flavors.

My first gelato was pistacchio (my barometer and constant in every gelateria test), halva e pistacchio (pieces), and cioccolato Amadei 9 (Amadei chocolate).

As far as how good this gelato is, I would say it’s above average, though not the best I’ve ever tasted. I also have a lot more flavors to taste. It would be in my top 10 gelaterie in Italy, though. But most importantly, it has the possibility to become your favorite gelateria due to offering flavors you can’t find anywhere else. That’s what struck me as people were streaming in all evening to get gelato – they were excited to see so many flavors and be able to stray from the Italian trilogy of gelato – pistachio, chocolate and hazelnut.

Sicilian cassata gelato

Here is latte e mirtilli (blueberries and milk), and some of the very interesting and sure-to-be-favorites of someone were: sesamo nero (black sesame seed), riso e zafferano (rice and saffron), chocolate of every type (paprika and hot pepper, banana) using some of the best chocolate in the world for their base (Amadei, Valrhona, Domori).

They make small batch sizes of each gelato flavor which is probably why they can offer you 100 flavors. I sampled a zenzero (ginger) sorbet that was incredibly strong and fresh and would have been a perfect thing to serve in between courses to clear one’s palate.

On my next trip, I’m going to try girasole e cioccolato (sunflower seed and chocolate), pistacchi turchi (turkish pistachio), and cioccolato with Valrhona.

Which flavors do you want to try? Which would you definitely avoid?

Il Gelato gelateria
Piazza Lagosta, Milano. Angolo (corner of) Via Trau

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• Tour del Gelato: Gelateria Marghera
• Best Gelato in Rome: San Crispino Gelateria’s New Location
• Join the Tour del Gelato!!

It’s been quietly plugging along and we’ve amassed more than 50 reviews of gelaterias in Italy, in the United States, and in other parts of the world!

If you’re interested in contributing, it’s pretty easy (read more on the Tour del Gelato page):

1. go to a gelateria (sorry, no ice cream parlors)
2. take some pictures, and review it on your own blog!
3. Include a link back to the Tour del Gelato blogroll, and send me a message so I can add you! That’s it! (You can also add your photos to the Tour del Gelato Flickr Pool)

If instead you’re more of a consumer, rather than a reviewer, check out the long list of great Italian gelaterie the blogosphere has reviewed to find one near you!

It’s not limited to Italy (though we are finding some great gelaterie for you), so get busy! I’m going to BlogHer in Chicago this summer, so I’d love to have some recommendations already documented!

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Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• More Italian Gelateria Stops on the Tour del Gelato!
• Join the Tour del Gelato!!
• London, A Menu for Hope, the Tour del Gelato