Berthillon – Ice Cream

Italian gelato may be popular all over the world, but have you ever heard of its slightly less attractive French cousin? She may not get out as much but if you give her a chance, she can still rock your world.

Just as in Italy, ice cream in France has a long and storied history. Using fresh seasonal ingredients, the glacier, or ice cream maker, creates unique flavors that can be quite intense. Where French ice cream, or glace, differs from gelato is with the inclusion of an egg custard for a richer texture while still retaining its silky smoothness. Think of it as halfway between an American ice cream and Italian gelato.

Berthillon is perhaps the most famous ice cream in France, with many cafes and retailers selling its ice cream. With so many amazing flavors under their belt, we opted for the seasonal autumn flavors during our time there. Marron glacé, or candied chestnuts, are a traditional confection of chestnuts boiled in syrup until they reach a texture resembling that of a very soft gummy bear. The marron glacé are then mixed into a smooth chestnut ice cream for a sweet bite of autumn.

In addition to the creamy flavors, sorbet is also immensely popular. Cassis, or blackcurrant, is used in a great variety of jams and liqueurs, makes for an excellent sorbet. Their flavor is not unlike that of cranberries, but are significantly sweeter and less tart while still possessing an intense red fruit flavor. The sorbet itself is also slightly heavier and icier than a gelato, but also has a much more concentrated flavor.

Berthillon serves up its ice cream in rather small scoops compared to what you would normally see. While this may put a lot of people off because they are not getting as much ice cream as they normally would elsewhere, it is made up for with the fact that their ice creams are quite intensely flavored and can be quite sweet. Having too much at once can be a bit sickening/cloying, so have a little bit at a time is the best way to mitigate this.

Be sure to take a little detour to Île Saint-Louis in Paris to have a taste of the most famous ice cream in France!

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Berthillon
31 rue saint louis en l’ile
75004 Paris, France