You love Messina, we love Messina, everyone loves Messina. And everyone has an opinion about Messina. To find the best damn Messina flavour, we conducted a very official internal survey to find out exactly what is the best Gelato Messina flavour.
Game on.
There were tears, there were tantrums, there were a shitload of ice cream scoops. But it was a labour of love, because Messina is nothing short of the tits.
Thank you, Gelato Messina, for all of the good times. For the post-beach snack, the I’m-too-lazy-so-let’s-get-it-order-Suppertime, for the it’s too damn hot for lunch, and the times when you’re like, well, I’m too full for dessert, but then you see Gelato Messina sitting there like a shiny, colourful beacon of hope, and you’re like… Okay, maybe just a little bit.
Here it is. All of Gelato Messina’s flavours, ranked. And before anyone emails me in a severe outrage and threatens to send me a bunch of gerberas, it’s all in fun. Like I’m ever going to say no to a delicious scoop of Messina. Ever. Hell, I’ll eat friggin’ okra flavoured Messina if it’s going.
Spoiler alert: It appears sorbet isn’t a top priority.
#35 Strawberry sorbet
Not saying I agree, but it’s a tough competition and sometimes good things have to fall down to make way for great things.
#34 Raspberry sorbet
It’s kind of like steamed veggies at a buffet. Appreciate you and everything you do, but not just… Now just isn’t the time.
#33 Chocolate chip
A for effort, but it appears we simply have bigger fish to fry… Or scoops to demolish.
#32 Yoghurt & berry
It’s like those double Ski Delight yoghurt things, but a million times better. Maybe people just haven’t mentally evolved enough to appreciate this one.
#31 Mandarin sorbet
It appears none of us have a taste for this citrusy delight (which has its place, if you ask me. And you did).
#30 Vanilla
Poor old vanilla sitting in his tub, losing all his friends, wondering what he did wrong. Time and place, guys.
#29 Passionfruit
Another one that, while awesome, just isn’t a top priority it seems.
#28 Yoghurt & caramel
This one is what I like to call a ‘filler’ scoop, it’s an excellent addition to its sweeter counterparts. Give old mate yoghurt caramel a go next time.
#27 Blood orange sorbet
Not going to buy it at the supermarket? Probably not going to eat it at Messina.
#26 Lemon sorbet
Old school, classic, and hits the spot like nothing else. Just not going to race there for it, ya know?
#25 Mango sorbet
Potentially an oversight, because this genuinely tastes like a fresh, perfect cheek of mango on a hot day. Juice dripping down your arms and all.
#24 Pannacotta with fig jam & amaretti
Going to put this down to the amaretti. It’s an acquired taste at the best of times.
#23 Gianduia
I’m going to go ahead and say this might have something to do with people not knowing how to pronounce it and feeling too awkward to ask.
#22 Italian nougat
Something tells me that If we had opened this survey up to Italian grandfathers, this would soar up the list.
#21 Chocolate sorbet
I salute you, chocolate sorbet, for saving our lactose-intolerant-but-sweet-toothed friends one at a time.
#20 Banana split
It appears we’re always in favour of streamlining a delicious dessert and putting it in cup form for the world to enjoy.
#19 Pandan & coconut
That’s right, the dark horse rising through the ranks. Go give this one a shot if you haven’t yet.
#18 Coconut & lychee
So damn refreshing I could drink a cup. And you better believe I would.
#17 Choc mint
How can you ever say no to this? You can’t. It tastes like childhood playground dreams and love.
#16 Salted coconut & mango salsa
There is no doubt it in my mind that this should be number one. You da real MVP, salted coconut & mango salsa.
#15 Coffee
We have been known to start the day with a scoop of this when it’s too damn hot to get a proper cuppa.
#14 Poached figs in marsala
Interesting (but worthy) addition to the top 15. Perhaps I need to give my colleagues more credit for their taste in ice cream.
#13 Tiramisu
More like tira-me-super excited about getting this in my belly.
#12 Choc fondant
God daaaaamn. Who hasn’t licked the top of a chocolate cake? Or is that just me? Put it in ice cream form and you’ve got yourself a sainthood.
#11 Pear & rhubarb
If I didn’t respect my colleagues before, I sure as hell do now. This one is damn fine and worthy of your time and respect.
#10 White chocolate hazelnut
Welcome to the top 10. You’re going to be seeing a whole lot more white chocolate from here on out. And hazelnut, too.
#9 Coffee & hazelnut praline sorbet
Another one for our lactose intolerant buddies. It’s nice to know that Messina don’t want anyone to miss out.
#8 Apple pie
When you put actual apple pie in ice cream, you’re doing the world a favour. This damn well deserves to be in the top 10.
#7 Pistachio
Not surprising. A good pistachio gelato is like a fine wine… Except you eat it much quicker because why not?
#6 Macadamia crunch
I mean, caramelised. white. chocolate. Does life get any better? If you add crunchy macadamia, it does.
#5 Salted caramel white chocolate
Bet you thought this would be number one, didn’t you? So did I. It’s apparently their best seller, and for damn good reason.
#4 Hazelnut
An oldie but a goodie, there is plenty of hazelnut gelato in Sydney, and Messina has nailed it.
#3 Bounty
Gets better every time you try it. Nostalgia is next to deliciousness with this one.
#2 Milk chocolate & choc peanut fudge
Take something awesome, add something even more awesome. Make an epic ice cream flavour, sell it, make the world a better place. Nice job, Messina.
#1 Dulce De Leche
Ladies and gentlemen, please meet your winner. And if you’ve ever let this sweet nectar pass your lips, you know it damn well deserves this spot.
Image credit: Jackielyn Powell