Ever since I was introduced to the combination of black raspberry ice cream and chocolate chips from Graeter’s, I’ve kept my eyes open for other companies offering the complimentary combination of tart raspberries and rich chocolate. Talenti’s recent releases of five new flavors include Banana Chocolate Swirl, Chocolate Chip Stracciatella, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, Simply Strawberry and the pint pictured above, Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip. Talenti had this to say about their version, “We combine the pleasantly tart, floral flavor of farm-fresh black raspberries with crunchy flecks of dark chocolate to create an elegant, melodic gelato." Using words like floral, elegant and melodic, it seems like we may discussing an upcoming wedding rather than gelato, but I’m still excited to see exactly what Talenti can do when they bring raspberries and chocolate chips together in holy matrimony.
After unscrewing the lid to this 230 calories per serving gelato, the first layer is a lovely, lilac color with plenty of chocolate flecks flowing throughout. I take in the beautiful base for a few seconds before I’m hit with the robust aroma of those farm-fresh raspberries. In an attempt to obtain uniformity, Talenti has included their small shards of chocolate in each layer of the lavender gelato to ensure some in each bite. Once the pint has sat out for a few minutes, I scoop out my first bite. The black raspberry base was floral and fruity, just as Talenti describes, but remains sweet because of the sugar and milk.
The dark chocolate crumbs aren’t substantial in size, however they are ferocious in frequency. The mini-flecks give every bite a crunchy characteristic that I always look for in a frozen treat. They fill every bite with dark, decadent highlights. And when combined with that unique raspberry gelato, those descriptive words Talenti uses of floral, elegant and melodic make much more sense. No, it wasn't Graeter's good. The two companies use completely different production methods and ingredients, but end up rolling out two pretty tasty chocolate raspberry combinations.
Where I Found It: The Fresh Market
Grade: B
