Pina Caruso’s family has been making gelato since 1926, when they first learned the secrets of the trade from a Sicilian gelatiere. In 2013, Pina re-invented the family business, launching a series of Caruso gelato shops with flavors rooted in the land of Basilicata.
She uses milk from local cows in the Vulture, and she told me that you can taste the grass in the gelato, especially in the fiore di latte. I couldn’t taste the grass, but it was the best gelato I’ve ever had.
Her signature gelato is the Acheruntino—it won first prize at the Gelato Festival World Masters. It’s the taste of Basilicata: milk cream with vin cotto, toasted almonds, and toasted Matera bread.
The gelato is not the only reason we go to the Caruso shop high up in Castelmezzano—we go to meet Pina. She served the gelato herself. And when it came time to leave, she gave each of us a beautiful little bag of treats for the trip home. It wasn’t something we’d paid for—it was just a moment of spontaneous generosity.
There are Caruso gelaterias in Potenza, Matera, Maratea, and Castelmezzano. It’s worth the trip!
