With temperatures reaching as high as 108 degrees here in Kansas this week, we were one happy crew when an ice-cold shipment of gelato and sorbet from Talenti showed up on our doorstep. The company, which started as a single gelato location and now sells to most major retailers, generously offered to send us a sampling of their delicious products. And being the sweets-loving group that we are, we said ‘yes!’ without thinking twice.
For those unfamiliar with gelato, it’s very similar to ice cream except there’s less air incorporated during the mixing process, which gives it a more dense rather than fluffy texture. And it also contains less cream and more milk than typical ice cream, so most flavors contain up to 1/3 less fat.
Of the nine exotic flavors Talenti sent our way, we couldn’t wait to get our hands on the Roman Raspberry, Mediterranean Mint, and Banana Chocolate Swirl. So we dished them up and gave them a taste.
Talenti prides itself on its commitment to using only the highest quality, all natural ingredients. And all of their flavors are 100 percent kosher and gluten free, with the exception of the Caramel Cookie Crunch. Scanning the ingredients and nutrition label left us pleased as there weren’t any unrecognizable items on the list. And for the most part, they were fairly healthy leading us to believe they were a reasonable choice for a sweet indulgence.
The only area that had us slightly concerned was the sugar count, as we typically recommend a 1/2 cup serving of ice cream not exceeding 22 grams, and most of the flavors tipped just a few grams over that. But because Talenti gelato is such a high quality product, we gladly make an exception here and consider it an indulgence worth splurging on.
First up was Mediterranean Mint swirled with flecks of bittersweet chocolate. While I’m not typically a mint-in-my-dessert type of girl, this flavor had me swooning with its subtle mint flavor and melt-in-your-mouth bits of chocolate. In other words, this is mint chocolate chip done right. One half cup serving set me back 200 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 24 grams of sugar.
Next up was the Roman Raspberry sorbet, which had the most insanely gorgeous fuchsia color. We found it the perfect summer flavor as it was light, refreshing and the perfect balance of sweet and tart. One half cup serving came in at around 100 calories, 0 grams of fat and 25 grams of sugar.
And last but not least was the Banana Chocolate Swirl, which had a distinct ripe banana flavor, an Argentine caramel swirl and dreamy specks of bittersweet chocolate in each bite. If you’re a banana lover, this is the flavor for you. One 1/2 cup serving runs about 200 calories, 9 grams of fat and 27 grams of sugar.
While I thought this flavor would be my favorite, Mediterranean Mint actually stole my heart, followed by the Seat Salt Caramel which had actual pieces of chocolate in every bite with real caramel tucked inside. Swoon!
In short, after a rigorous taste testing that spanned several gruesome days (wink, wink), we absolutely loved this product and happily give it our Diets In Review stamp of approval. Be sure to check out Talenti’s website for yourself to see where you can find their products at a store near you.
Also Read:
Julia Roberts Doesn’t Regret Gaining Weight on her Gelato Diet for Eat, Pray, Love