Like most people, I’m aware that there is a difference between gelato and sorbet.

Gelato is Italy’s version of ice cream, with three major differences. First, gelato has significantly less butterfat than ice cream’s typical 18 and 26 percent. It’s still yummy but I guess it is healthier! Second, gelato has a much higher density than ice cream because it is not aerated and we all know that the difference between a lightweight ice cream and dense one is huge. Third, gelato is apparently served slightly warmer than ice cream which explains why mine was melting so quickly. While both gelato and ice cream are served well below the freezing temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, gelato is served 10 to 15 degrees warmer than ice cream. YUMMY!

Critically, sorbet is made without any dairy. It is quite a bit simpler on the ingredients list. Generally it is water, sugar and chocolate and when you’re getting your sorbet from a bean to bar chocolate maker like Soma, you know that you are going to get some stunning chocolate. I was given the opportunity to try some on a particularly warm day and boy was I grateful! I had to blog it because this was just TOO GOOD for words.

Chocolate Gelato – Soft & creamy like ice cream only better! A deep rich flavour with extreme chocolaty-ness. How can I even begin to describe what this is like? It was like a big chocolate blanket that had been cooled in a freezer was wrapped around my tongue and melted into velvety chocolate deliciousness in my mouth. Can’t recommend this lovely complex chocolate gelato enough. In fact, now I know I can’t have any until next year, I feel kind of depressed…

Dark Chocolate Sorbet – This is different – subtler, darker & more of an intense chocolate taste that develops over time. A much more complex flavour experience than the gelato. This sorbet is less creamy more icy – obviously since this has no dairy and is made with chocolate, sugar & water. This is perfect for anyone avoiding dairy but who still wants to have a delicious sweet frozen treat. It is a more complex flavour though so I’d also recommend it for chocolate aficionados who want to experience that complexity unhindered with additional fats.

I am so very glad that I had the chance to try this frozen deliciousness. I cannot recommend it highly enough. A delicious summer treat I wish I could have bought it in take-home containers so I could enjoy it anytime (but my freezer is not a gelato temperature-controlled freezer )

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I walked in to Adam and Eve chocolates in Toronto. For sure I expected chocolate novelties of the type one finds in Ann Summers. What I didn’t expect was to find a serious chocolate shop run by someone passionate about creating high quality chocolate with interesting flavours and gelato that melted in the mouth.

Adam and Eve chocolates are situated a walk away from Wellesley subway on the heart of the gay village in Toronto. Set back from the street, they have a wonderful outdoor area just outside their front door. There is a tree and a quaint hand painted sign which does not prepare you for what you find inside.

For more than any other reason, visit Adam and Eve for the luscious chocolate gelato. This has to be the best chocolate gelato I have ever tried. Smooth, flavourful, delightfully well-balanced – this gelato is an absolute must-try!

Walk in the door and the distinctive smell of Callebaut chocolate wafts out mixed with delightful hints of exotic ingredients. The smiling lady behind the counter is well versed in her chocolates and helps me brilliantly until it becomes obvious from my note-taking that I am no ordinary punter and after perhaps the sixth or seventh question about their chocolate which she handles beautifully, she calls one of the owners down who is later joined by the master chocolate maker himself.

The passion for chocolate is clear with this pair as it is in every inch of the shop. The passion is expressed in the desire to be creative with the fillings and create something divine. It seems unfair in the face of such dedicated passion and effort to give it anything but a glowing review. Indeed had the chocolate used as a base been better I am sure I would have been absolutely raving in my review.

As chocolate goes, this is good stuff. It isn’t great, but it is good. The signature chocolate is robust in flavour with an interesting mix. The old favourites are mixed with new imaginative flavours and the experimentation and boundary pushing is clear. This is a chocolate shop with a desire to be different and to stand out and they do. Their chocolate would stand out even more if they chose to depart from their existing use of Callebaut and moved to something like Valrhona or Amedei. The base chocolate is what lets the flavour down.

The effort here is stunning and the care taken is extreme and the love they have for chocolate is evident in everything from the heart shaped chocolate boxes – perfect for a gift – through to the fractal chocolate they carry. This is a shop for people passionate about chocolate. I recommend it to people who are not as picky as I am about the quality of the chocolate they eat. It is good quality chocolate and well worth the visit.