There is nothing more perfect amidst a sweltering summer here in Boston, than taking an evening stroll through the historic streets of our city, while cooling down with a refreshing ice cream cone. Perfect right? Let’s get real people…nobody wants those extra pounds during beach season!

By Katie Sweeney — Photographed by Matt Baldelli

However, there is one perfect Italian word that can be your sweet relief from the heat while keeping you somewhat on a healthy track…Gelato!! Gelato’s inception began within 15th century Northern Italy and has remained an Italian tradition that has spread in popularity throughout the world. Gelato, or the plural Gelati, is the Italian word for frozen.

Gelato flavors are as diverse and unique as the many regions within Italy. Historically, Gelato made within the cooler, more mountainous regions of Northern Italy, tend to be made with richer ingredients and are churned with egg yokes, chocolates, fresh fruits and gianduia, a hazelnut and milk paste.

Gelato in Southern Italy is typically of a lighter, water based consistency, made with fresh fruits such as lemons and oranges. This gelato is now more commonly referred to as sorbetti. In Sicily granite is common as well -this is much like slush with the consistency of shaved ice.

Gelato is significantly less fattening because it is made only with fresh whole milk, leaving it with a butterfat content of merely 6 to 8%. Labeling standards in America require that to be titled an ice cream, a product must contain 10% milk fat and 20% milk solids while consisting of 50% air. This means that ice cream will typically have more than double the fat of gelato and in turn even ice creams that may be lower in butterfat will typically contain more calories from sugars. If all that math was hard to swallow, the next time you’re in search of a summer treat, it should be a no brainer.

As the heat rises in the city this summer, you can go about cooling down, with this decadent Italian treat, minus the guilt ice cream leaves you feeling! Spend your perfect summer moment strolling down Hanover with a fresh cup of gelato in hand from any of the fabulous North End gelaterias!