The scoop on ordering gelato in Italian

Out of the hundreds of reasons to go to Italy, “for the gelato” sits pretty close to the top of the list. It’s tasty, easy to find, and the perfect grab-and-go treat—day or night, summer or winter, for breakfast or dinner. The secret to making it taste even better than it already does? Ordering it in Italian! Not only will you feel accomplished, but you'll impress the locals too.

As far as basic Italian phrases go, the ones you’ll use to order your gelato are easy to learn and to remember. These are the key terms you need to know:

• Piccolo (PEE-koh-loh) – Small
• Medio (MEH-dee-oh) – Medium
• Grande (grahn-day) – Large
• Cono (KOH-noh) – Cone
• Coppetta (koh-PET-tah) – Cup

To order your gelato, all you need to do is fill in the blanks!

“Buongiorno, vorrei un gelato piccolo in cono, per favore.” In English, that’s “Hello, I would like a small gelato in a cone, please.”

Now comes the best and most important part—picking your flavors (il gusti)! In Italy, this typically happens after you’ve chosen what size you want and the way you want it served (i.e. in a cup or in a cone). Here’s a rundown of some of the most common gelato flavors:

Amarena – Sour cherry

Caffè – Coffee

Cannella – Cinnamon

Cioccolata – Chocolate

Cioccolato fondente – Dark chocolate

Fior di latte – Directly translated, this means “flower of milk.” This flavor is most similar to what we’d call sweet cream.

Fragola – Strawberry

Nocciola – Hazelnut

Pistacchio – Pistachio

Stracciatella – Chocolate chip

What gelato flavor would you order in Italy? Tell us on our Facebook page!