An Italian Dream in the Silicon Valley

There is something about Italian food that brings a sense of comfort and peace to my mind and stomach. Though my lifelong favorites have always been the savory foods such as lasagna and veal scallopini, I've finally taken a stand and I have gone to the sweet side for one of the greatest Italian offerings: gelato.

I think of gelato as an extension of your typical American ice cream. Though seemingly quite similar, gelato seems to pack a huge haymaker punch of flavor especially when it comes to fruit flavors. It's not as reliant on gobs and chunks of chocolate and candy (although there's nothing wrong with that at all) that usually to overpower the creamy base. Instead of all the usual glitz and glam, gelato showcases the base flavor and allows it to shine through to anyone lucky enough to taste it. Lucky Italians!



Of all the gelatos I've ever tried, my favorite variety is green tea that hails from Cafe Aroma in Santa Clara. According to the owner's son who runs the counter in the evenings, he went to Europe and brought back authentic gelato-making techniques back to his shop in California. Whatever his secret is, he is on the right track. He has about 12 different flavors at any given time, most of them fruit inspired. My favorite, the green tea flavor, is refreshing and light and reminds me of fresh, lightly brewed tea made from freshly picked tea leaves. Matched with the creamy base of milk and sugar, the gelato melts quickly and permeates the tongue with a burst of flavor and richness. The color is a very light seafoam green and almost looks like wasabi, but pay no mind to its visual appearance. This gelato has the perfect balance of sweetness, creaminess, and all around goodness!