Comments on: Bella Gelateria

By: TimeToChow

TimeToChow — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:28:49 +0000

hehe i grew up on soft serve ice cream too. could never decide whether to get chocolate or vanilla so always ended getting both. also use to like sundaes at McD. but have since converted to gelato’s and sorbet’s. i’ve only been to BG once after reading Mijune’s post. i agree BG is good. largely due to the selection of ingredients. soft serve ice cream doesnt go through the deep freezing(hardening) hence it never has any ice crystals than regular ice cream has.

did you know that ice creams are technically ‘foam’? look like molecular gastronomy isnt a new fad.

i agree that BG’s gelato and sorbet melted fast. a little too fast to enjoy it. but it was a really hot day when i was there.
it’s prob true that gelato shouldnt be frozen. but in reality that is hard not to do. ice cream generally need to be deep frozen quickly to prevent ice crystal from forming. largely due to the fact the commercial places need to package and shipped out. generally ice crystals are considered a bad thing in ice cream as the ruin the flavor and texture.

perhaps another reason it melted fast is hopefully because BG didnt use any stabilizers. stabilizers are common in all commercial ice cream, gelato and sorbets. it you have a controled enviroment like a stand-alone restaurant or gelato shop, and you dont need to produce and store large volume of products. at home, i would only use a stabiliser(xanthan gum) if i would be making a large volume for extended storage or gifts. stabilisers help bond and thicken but may have side effects in texture and flavor if not used correctly.

By: Mijune

Mijune — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 19:20:54 +0000

The reason why it melts fast is because gelato is NEVER supposed to be frozen hard… it’s supposed to be stored at I think -12 to -14 degrees celcius and many ppl don’t do this. Any other temperature/texture other than this is supposed to ruin your palette for gelato.

By: Crème de la Crumb | I'm Only Here for the Food!

Crème de la Crumb | I'm Only Here for the Food! — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:03:01 +0000

[...] than not, it is hype; others, the “free” food factor. However, as I mentioned in my Bella Gelateria post, there are people I trust, like Mijune and Sherman. When Mijune wrote about Crème de la Crumb [...]

By: KimHo

KimHo — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 04:39:32 +0000

Margaret, weclome and thanks for your feedback! While I personally haven’t had made-in-Italy gelato, I don’t have a reference point and, instead, rely on what I like/dislike. In an odd what, two people I have met and have been to Italy have given me two completely different thougths of Bella Gelateria. One likes it; the other one not that much. So, there you go!

By: Margaret

Margaret — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:45:13 +0000

TRUE gelato melts faster because it has less milk fat and therefore freezes at a much higher temperature than regular ice cream. This lower milk fat also provides a much richer taste as you’re getting the full flavour of the particular flavour of the gelato instead of the coating of fat in your mouth.

Having eaten gelato in various places in Italy and then pretty much everywhere that makes gelato in Vancouver (in search of one that resembles the stuff I had in Italy) I can honestly say that Bella Gelateria is by far the only gelateria in BC that makes it like they do in the old country.

As for the 85% chocolate sorbetto, a 500g box of which I have cooling in my work freezer to take home, it is phenomenal. The process used in making sorbet and gelato produces less air in the product making it creamier. This chocolate sorbetto, due to the density and the high quality (single source) chocolate used, is so flavourful and creamy I couldn’t tell it apart from gelato, even though it is water based.

Another thing my husband pointed out (former pastry chef who now sells dessert/pastry supplies to the bakery/restaurant market in BC) is that BG uses fresh fruit only in its product whereas their competitors use pre packaged purees. You can really tell the difference.

By: KimHo

KimHo — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 23:53:10 +0000

Sherman, if I want the denser one, I think I would end up going to either Vivo! or Dolce Amore…

VB, didn’t check.

By: Sierra

Sierra — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:03:03 +0000

Yeah, but how nice was Bella Gelateria’s bathroom?? lol!

By: Sherman

Sherman — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:09:40 +0000

Yah, I found it melted quite fast too. There was an explanation, but I forgot what it was… Also, you’re right it ain’t perfect; but it is a whole lot better than places like La Casa and Amato. I’m glad they do small batches and limited flavours. Do something well by doing less.

By: Jacqueline

Jacqueline — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:36:45 +0000

I too love this place… especially perfect for my after lunch snack at work now that its 30 degrees outside!

By: Anita

Anita — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:56:57 +0000

I LOVE this place!!! I asked to try every single flavor there and they were very good about it. The staff were really nice as well. Darn, the only flavor I didn’t try was the Chocolate Grand Marnier one.

Did you know they have take-outs too? I’ve been guilty of buying a few! HAHA

Anyone up for gelato? :p