An Ode to Nero Arancio
By: Abigail Poteshman, CAS ’20
International Centre for Theoretical Physics – Trieste, Italy
While normally a chocolate purist, the nero arancio gelato at Gelato Marco in Trieste, Italy has converted me. It is unquestionably the greatest gelato I have ever tasted. Nero is the Italian word for black but is often a synecdoche for different kinds of foods in Trieste. When ordering a shot of espresso in a coffee bar in Trieste (but, as I soon learned on a weekend trip to Venice, nowhere else in Italy), you ask the barista for, “un nero, per favore” or “one black, please.” For gelato, nero is used to describe the darkest chocolate gelato option, which at Gelato Marco consists of 66% cocoa and no milk. Gelato Marco has two different nero flavors, nero fondente, which translates to dark black, and the aforementioned nero arancio, which translates to dark orange.
When first arriving in Trieste, I began sampling different gelaterias. For the sake of consistency, I would order nero fondente at each gelateria in order to make the most direct comparison. However, I was repeatedly drawn back to Gelato Marco. Gelato Marco, which is often so busy you have to draw a deli number in order to be served, is located a few blocks off of the main square of Trieste. The certification of kashrut hanging inside the door of Gelato Marco may be one of the only indicators that you are enjoying gelato in the former Jewish quarter of Trieste. Furthermore, it is conveniently located about 4.5 miles into the 5 mile-long stroll I take back from work. It was after one of these scenic walks along the Adriatic coast that I wanted a gelato that was slightly more refreshing than the incredibly rich nero fondente. It was on that day that I took a step out of my comfort zone and tried a scoop of the nero arancio.
Since that fated day, I have not turned back. The orange zest in the gelato undercuts some of the richness of the nero fondente without sacrificing the intensity of the chocolate. The price of 1.40 Euro for a generous scoop of what would be considered “artisanal, hand-made” gelato in the States makes it all too easy for me to indulge often. While one of the challenges of working in Italy over the summer is trying not to eat too much gelato, the nero arancio gelato at Gelato Marco exacerbates this daily struggle.
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