Ice cream may be the main focus of this blog, but I’m not stranger to gelato either. Companies like Talenti have headed the supermarket movement for the Italian-inspired dessert, however others have also been making an appearance in freezers as of late. Despite the fact that they started making gelato way back in 1983, I’ve only recently started seeing Ciao Bella’s products show up in stores around me. According to them, “Ciao Bella’s indulgent collection of gelato and sorbet creates moments of happiness everywhere with an unparalleled, incredibly unique dessert experience. We simply rely on a chef inspired blend of pure, naturally intense ingredients and a passion for evoking pleasure and delight in every frozen bite.” Although most of their offerings are contained inside a carton, I decided to check out their Sea Salt Caramel Gelato Squares to serve as my first taste from this company that started in New York's Little Italy.
These Italian ice cream sandwiches are made with sea salt caramel gelato, caramel and chocolate swirls, chocolate squares and contain a reasonable 250 calories each. The pink and white wrapper tears away easily to reveal the chocolate wafers sitting on the top and bottom of the beige, sea salt caramel gelato. Only after slicing the squares into smaller sections do the chocolate and caramel swirls become visible. The base gelato has a dense, super-premium consistency and provides a great balance of sweetness with just a touch of salt to further bring out the buttery flavors of the caramel. Both of the swirls make a beautiful striped design inside the squares and add complimentary tastes and textures to the sea salt caramel gelato.
The chocolate and caramel sauces get pretty concentrated in some areas; so much so that they would occasionally string upwards as I pulled off a piece. The petite swirls give a more intense flavoring than the gelato or the wafers and enhance the overall experience. The large chocolate wafers sandwiching the other ingredients are soft and collapse easily without much effort. This element gives each bite a rich, chocolate-filled finish that exemplifies exactly why sea salt caramel and cocoa play so well together. Ciao Bella’s Sea Salt Caramel Gelato Squares have me wondering exactly why I’ve put off trying this brand for so long.
Where I Found It: Harris Teeter
Grade: A
