Jauja

Posted by Edmund in Argentina, Ice Cream & Gelato | 0 comments

Jauja
Bariloche

Most regions in Argentina have their own regional takes on ice cream, particularly in terms of flavor profiles. Jauja serves that role in Bariloche, the land of chocolate in the Patagonian South. It is known as undoubtedly the best producer of gelato in Bariloche, and for good reason. Its flavors are extremely unique, integrating some of the rarer fruits and dietary from the mountains, like rosehip and goat’s milk. It is thus quite a change of pace from Buenos Aires, though you can still find all the traditional flavors.

The taste, moreover, lives up to the hype, though it really can’t compete with what you’d find in Buenos Aires. The flavors are top notch and interesting, the ice cream is rich, creamy, and smooth. The sweetness is just right. I will say, though, that the unique flavors are somewhat gimmicky and are often hit-or-miss. Whether you like some of them will often depend on how much you like fruit, and other times the flavor will just be unworkable—it’ll be something created more for the “wow” factor than for anything. Also, given the weather, some of the gelato will tend to be overly icy (with pieces of ice in it), detracting from the creaminess. That said, if you’re in Bariloche, this is your go-to ice cream stop, hands down!

Flavors I’ve had (recommendations in bold):

1. Peanut Cream: 3.5/5.0. Nice flavor. Almost like peanut butter. A bit icy—not creamy enough.
2. Mascarpone with Strawberry: 3.5/5.0. Nice flavor. Fruity really comes through—Real fruit flavor. Creamy, too, but still a bit icy.
3. Chocolate Chips: 4.0/5.0. This is money! Great, rich, semisweet, brownie-ish flavor. A tad icy when I had it, but definitely creamier than the others.
4. Calafate con Leche de Oveja (Indigenous fruit with sheep’s milk): 2.0/5.0. Interesting idea, but very plain in execution. Nothing truly distinctive. No flavor really—just a tad fruity.
5. Ristretto con Crema (Espresso with Cream): 2.0/5.0. Strong coffee/cappuccino taste. Great for coffee lovers. Flavor comes through very well, just not for me.
6. Selva Negra/Black Forest: 3.5/5.0. Doesn’t taste like a black forest at all, but very good. More like a vanilla with chocolate chunks. Good flavor, though. A little bit too much cream, but not bad.
7. Banana Split: 4.0. Banana flavor is strong, and the gelato is very creamy.
8. Crema Italiana (Italian Cream): 4.2/5.0. Score really depends on how much you like the cream portion, though I really can’t tell what the flavor is.
9. White Chocolate: 3.8/5.0. Smooth, soft, and good subtle chocolate taste. But it’s really not flavorful enough for a white chocolate—I’d like more of a chocolate taste to it.
10. Mousse of dulce de leche: 4.3+/5.0. This is the motherload of dulce de leche gelato! Interesting flavor, but it comes out so much better when the ice cream is “mousse” style—i.e. about as creamy and rich as possible. The difference in creaminess between a normal flavor and a mousse-style flavor would be comparable to the difference between an ice cream and a frozen yogurt. This really gives the dulce de leche a syrupy, melt-in-your-mouth quality that is fantastic.
11. Chocolate Profundo (Deep/Intense Chocolate): 3.8-4.0/5.0. Only for chocolate lovers! Way too chocolaty. Very bitter too, like dark chocolate. The flavor is just stifling.
12. Frutilla a la Cream (Strawberries and Cream): 4.1+/5.0. Right level of creaminess and fruitiness. Very refreshing and light.

Overall Score: 3.5/5.0