Cremola

Buono, autentico e naturale

In Cremola we got a very pleasant surprise and so did our dogs, who accompany us everywhere: in the menu there is also ice cream for them.

Author: Aina Coll

Photographer: Jaume Oliver

Ice cream is synonymous with summer, an undeniable pleasure and the star delicacy of the summer. And ice cream parlors seem to multiply, in Palma and around the island, like mushrooms in a rainforest to satisfy our desire. But let's get serious because hedonism deserves it: not all ice cream parlors are the same and not all ice creams are the same, despite the fact that the term 'artisanal' covers more and more facades as an advertisement.

In fact, with the desire to reaffirm our love for good and true ice cream, one afternoon in June we go to Plaça Verge del Miracle, in the Santa Catalina district of Palma, to taste the ice creams made by Elá Elá. A plan that, to be honest, we readapted on the fly because the ice cream parlor has been transformed -and we had not heard about it- and now it is Cremola: a narrow place, tastefully decorated in pastel colors that, under the shade of a blue awning, contemplates the doors of the church of Sant Magí.

Inside, the protagonist is the key to any ice cream parlor: a showcase displaying flavors that surprise because they are a feast -original and select- of ingredients: hazelnut from Piedmont with designation of origin, vanilla from Madagascar, Bean to Bar bitter chocolate from Nicaragua, Argentine dulce de leche with chocolate chips, mango with yogurt and a touch of cardamom... and among this seductive list, two proposals stand out, one local and the other exotic: almond, almond crunch and orange make up Puro Mallorca and ChocoMiso in a surprising fusion of ingredients that, in our head, we would never have combined.

They say that the flavor of our favorite ice cream speaks of how we are, that in a way it defines us. Classic, daring, cautious, risk-takers, strident, unusual and even lovers of the seemingly impossible.And since today we have gathered six friends who want to have a good time and have a few laughs, we thought it would be a good plan to choose our own flavor and, why not, get to know each other a little better through them -we might even get a surprise or two!

In a cone or in a cup, we start the game: the refreshing lemon lime and ginger is the favorite of those who do not take the heat too well and long for the arrival of autumn since May; the Manacor strawberry ice cream with mango, hazelnut and pistachio from Bronte is chosen by someone who is always thinking about the next trip, and the combination of olive oil and salted chocolate is, of course, the preference of those who love to constantly enjoy new experiences.

The pistachio and salted caramel ice cream turns out to be the winning bet of that friend who always surprises you with an unexpected -and sometimes even too daring- plan and, finally, the two hazelnut balls that crown a classic cone among classics is the non-negotiable choice of the one who takes no risks, the one who would never break a rule, but -and who knows if precisely for that reason- is also the one in whom the whole group trusts and will always trust.

Holding the ice cream as our most precious commodity, we set off to the park with laughter before it melts between our fingers. Before, however, we get a very pleasant surprise, us and our dogs, who accompany us everywhere: in Cremola's menu there is also ice cream for them, a treat made from a recipe endorsed by an Italian university based on natural yogurt, figs and dates that makes our friends enjoy it as much as we do. A precious detail for which we are all grateful.

The natural ingredients, the creamy texture and the flavor that only quality raw materials provide make the difference between a magnificent ice cream and a mediocre one. Cremola, without a doubt, again and again, to the simple pleasure of spending a relaxed summer afternoon with friends, licking an ice cream in the shade of a tree in the park. With the approval, we are absolutely convinced of it and of our dogs as well.