Crema reggina – Calabrian rum ice cream

An ice cream flavour typical of the city of Reggio Calabria, in the southern part of the region, crema reggina is a pink-hued, rum-scented frozen custard studded with chocolate (originally carob seeds) and candied fruits. Devised by local pastry chef and gelatiere Pepé Caridi, this ice cream came to be by sheer mistake, yet the outcome was so pleasing that Mr Caridi decided to replicate it, naming it after his native city.

The pink colour of the cream can be achieved through food colouring or by using Alchermes (a herbal Italian liqueur). Personally, I opted for a natural food dye so as to not interfere with the flavour of the rum, which, especially when very aromatic – think Rhum agricole – shouldn’t have much else to go against it. The traditional recipe also calls for carob seeds. Modern versions of this ice cream, however, have swapped them for chocolate chips, yet I’d argue that even better than chips are chocolate chunks – so this is what I went for in the recipe (but feel free to substitute chocolate chips if you prefer). As for candied fruits, a combination of citron and orange peel as well as chopped candied cherries is ideal, but even just mixed candied citrus would be fine.