In São Paulo, more and more upmarket ice cream parlors have opened over the last few years. By “upmarket,” I mean parlors that are like cafes. They have tables where you can sit down, and depending on the parlor, you can order coffee too, while some parlors also sell cakes as well as ice cream. The ice cream at these upmarket parlors is different from the ice cream sold at supermarkets in that it has a richer, milkier flavor as well as a creamier, smoother texture. The prices are also higher.
Brazil's annual ice cream consumption is about 7.7 liters per person. São Paulo state accounts for 20% of that consumption. New Zealand's per capita consumption is 26 liters, so Brazil's consumption is on the low side. Some of the reasons for that low consumption, despite being a tropical country, are due to the fact that people eat less ice cream in winter, prices are high, a lot of people are under the impression that it contains a lot of sugar so it’s unhealthy, and finally, there is a lack of flavor varieties. In my opinion, it seems to me that because Brazil has a wide variety of fruits year-round, people get their sugar hit from those fruits.
Sure enough, I too eat almost no ice cream in winter. I think that’s because most people don't have heating in their homes here. That might be their avoidance of cold things.
I have been enjoying the widening variety of ice cream parlors in São Paulo over the last few years. A small serve, in either a cup or a cone, is about 120 ml, and averages 20 to 25 reais (about US$4.50).
This year I found a really good ice cream parlor called Italien. They only have three parlors so far, but every serve comes with a really good Jules Destrooper cookie. The pistachio flavor is very rich, more for grown-ups.
Amalfi is a parlor that has lemon-flavored ice cream. They also have milk-free sorbets. You can get it served in a lemon instead of a paper cup, which is so appealing and exciting. The flavor was so good and not too sweet. I think the sorbet might have a stronger lemon flavor. The topping has melted white chocolate, so it is sweet.
This little idea is eye-catching and puts a smile on your face, don’t you think?
I should say that although there are differences between gelato and ice cream, and gelaterias are particular about these differences, I don’t have the detailed data to differentiate gelato from ice cream yet, so I have used the general term "ice cream" in this article.
