When in Rome......eat gelato!

Buzz in Rome knows everything that's going on in this busy city. A recent newsletter did a quick roundup of Rome's Top Ten gelato makers.

Here are their tips:

We know that whatever the season, gelato is always a good idea. After a hot, world breaking record of a summer we've been going out frequently to our favourite ice-cream parlours and we thought that a list of our preferred gelato choices would come in handy for you.

Rule of thumb: if you can't reach any of the places mentioned below, avoid ice-cream shops with a display of color seducing flavours and overflowing ice cream containers. A visual image would be neon-colored ice cream flavors that look like the tip of a mountain! It is a clear signal that their gelato is far from natural. Good quality ice cream doesn't need to appear like a work of art. Remember, that the closer the color is to the natural color of the product is your safest bet to it having less additives. At times, you don't even get to see it before you buy it due to preservation techniques.

1 Fata Morgana we've quickly become addicted to their creations! Out-of-the-ordinary flavours such as Baklava and Kentucky - a mix of chocolate and tobacco. Yes, you heard it right: tobacco. Do try them all. We sure are trying new ones everytime, and they haven't let us down one bit! Perhaps their best ones are the Madagascar and Venezuelan chocolate. Various locations in town.

2 Il Gelato di Claudio Torcè. Mind-numbing variety of flavours, both exotic and traditional ones. The first time we went, we were dizzy with the number of chocolate variants they had!  Habanero Chili ice-cream? Sichuan pepper? Yes, they've got it. They've got other frozen treats available too like yoghurt plus your choice of toppings and other blended concoctions. Curious about Happy Hour + Gelato? Then join their Aperi-Gelato  Fridays and Saturdays at 6.30pm.  Various locations in town.

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Just a tip: to save time and to avoid holding a line of frequent patrons, know your flavours (gusti) beforehand because they are mostly in Italian.

Here are some: Nocciola = hazelnut, Noce = walnut, Castagna = chestnut, Mandorla = almond, Cannella = cinnamon, Crema = cream, Fragoline di bosco = wild berries, Macedonia = fruit salad, The Verde = green tea, Cioccolato Fondente = dark chocolate, Cioccolato Bianco = white chocolate, Cioccolato al Latte = milk chocolate. Other buzz words: Cono = cone and coppa = Cup, Senza = without, Con = with and lastly, if they ask you: Panna? that's whipped cream and it's free (in Rome).