Gelato Oblate. Enjoy the authentic taste of Italian gelato in Tamashima! A gelato shop run by a former milkman who trained in Florence.

Ice cream is delicious not only on hot summer days, but also from the time the weather starts warming up in early spring.

Those who love ice cream may even enjoy it in autumn and winter.

I love ice cream too.

There is a gelato shop in Tamashima, Kurashiki City, that I’d like everyone—not just gelato lovers—to try.

It’s called “Gelato Oblate. (GELATO OBLATE.).”

The owner learned how to make gelato in Florence, Italy, the birthplace of gelato.
You can enjoy authentic gelato in central Tamashima.

The owner, who once worked delivering milk, highly recommends gelato made with milk from Kisuki Nyugyo.
There’s also gelato made with generous amounts of pistachios from Sicily, Italy.

There are more than 10 delicious-looking gelato flavors on offer.

New and seasonal products also appear regularly, and the selection changes over time.

Here’s an introduction to Oblate, this tempting gelato specialty shop!

Oblate is a gelato specialty shop where you can enjoy the authentic taste of Florence, Italy

Oblate is a gelato specialty shop in central Tamashima.

The shop’s head gelato maker, Daisuke Nishino, went to Italy, the home of gelato, to train.

What’s more, he trained in Florence, the birthplace of gelato.
You can enjoy authentic gelato in Tamashima.

Oblate’s gelato has been praised by an Italian visitor as having a “taste that can hold its own against Italy.”

▼Oblate’s exterior is also distinctive.

The owner designed it to create an atmosphere that makes you feel “as if you were overseas.”

The pale blue-green exterior walls and light blue sign are charming.
The white pillars and wood grain look great too.

In fact, the owner painted the exterior themselves!

The interior is also a warm space filled with the feel of wood.

▼Delicious-looking gelato is lined up in the refrigerated display case.

There are also objects inside that evoke Italy.

▼A painting of the “Duomo,” a World Heritage Site symbolizing Florence, where the owner trained

▼A model of the Duomo

▼A certificate of completion from the owner’s training school, Accademia Riaci

There is a bench outside Oblate.
Although you can’t eat inside, you can sit on the bench and enjoy your gelato.

There is also an area where you can eat and drink on the east side of the shop (to the right when facing the front).

Oblate’s stamp card is also unique.

▼It features an illustration of Oblate’s exterior and is cute.

The first stamp is shaped like a car, but apparently each stamp after that has a different shape.

You’ll have to wait and see what gets stamped.

What is gelato?

You may have heard the word “gelato” but wondered, “What exactly is it?” or “Is it different from ice cream?”

So, before introducing Oblate, here’s a brief introduction to gelato.

The word “gelato” is a loanword derived from Italian.

Gelato originated in Florence, Italy.

In Italy, gelato refers to ice cream and sherbet in general, but in Japan, ice cream and gelato are distinguished from one another.

The distinction is set out in the “Ministerial Ordinance on Milk and Dairy Product Ingredient Standards, etc.,” based on the Food Sanitation Act.

In Japan, gelato is a type of “ice milk.”

Ice milk is defined as a product containing 10% or more but less than 15% milk solids and 3% or more but less than 8% milk fat.

These are collectively called “ice cream products.”
There is also another category called “frozen confections.”

Gelato (ice milk) contains less milk solids and milk fat than ice cream, and this is what gives gelato its distinctive characteristics.

Because gelato contains less milk solids and milk fat, it brings out the flavor of its ingredients directly.

Gelato also contains less air, giving it a smooth texture.

Oblate’s gelato comes in single and double servings, with a choice of cup or cone

For Oblate’s gelato, you can choose between two serving options: a cone or a cup.

The price is the same for cones and cups.

However, pistachio costs an extra ¥100.

▼Cone

▼Cup

The advantages of a cone are that it creates less waste after you finish eating and can be eaten with one hand.

The “classic gelato” look is part of the appeal, too.
Children seem to prefer cones.

Cones also look great in photos.

Some people are particular about the harmony between the cone and the gelato, especially with chocolate gelato.

The advantage of a cup is that it’s easy to eat from.

Gelato melts and drips from a cone, but a cup helps keep your hands clean.

Oblate’s gelato comes as a “single,” with one flavor, or a “double,” with two flavors.

For a double, you can also have two scoops of the same flavor.

Oblate’s gelato is piled high.
It feels like a great deal.

But the gelato leaves a clean finish, so you don’t feel like you’ve eaten too much when you finish it.
After trying it, I thought the portion was just right.

However, be careful if you have a double in a cone, as it can drip easily.
A cup is especially recommended for a double on a hot day.

They also sell takeout cups and gelato dacquoise.

The takeout cups hold about 90 milliliters.

The gelato dacquoise is made by sandwiching gelato between dacquoise layers.

Use an ice pack or insulated bag if needed when buying takeout.

A wide variety of flavors! Oblate’s gelato

Oblate has a huge variety of gelato!
There are always more than 10 flavors on offer.

At the time of our visit, there were 13 flavors available.

The gelato selection changes depending on the season.

There are regular flavors such as “Happy Milk,” as well as gelato that appears for a limited time.

In addition, if the shop’s owner and gelato maker, Mr. Nishino, experiments and comes up with an interesting product, it is added to the selection.

The selection is changed periodically.

Doesn’t that make you want to visit Oblate regularly to see if there are any new flavors?

Of course, all of Oblate’s gelato is homemade by Oblate.
It is made at a separate gelato workshop.

Also, with the exception of some flavors such as “Italian Classico,” Oblate’s gelato contains no eggs at all.

Even people with allergies can enjoy it.

▼The gelato selection at the time of our visit was as follows.

• Happy Milk 【Popular】
• Evolutionary Strawberry Milk
• Italian Chocolate 【Popular】
• Hazelnut Chocolate
• Pistachio (100 yen extra) 【Popular】
• Biscotti
• Amarena Cherry
• Italian Classico
• That Strawberry Sorbet
• Chicory Coffee
• Pear Sorbet
• Framboise
• Gentle Anno Imo (sweet potato)

Let’s take a look at each one.

▼Happy Milk

“Happy Milk” is Oblate’s signature gelato and a popular item.

It uses two kinds of milk from Kisuki Dairy, giving it a rich milky flavor and a pleasant sweetness that doesn’t linger.

Kisuki Dairy’s milk is low-temperature pasteurized.

Because it is pasteurized slowly over time, the milk retains its natural flavor and nutrients.
It also has a refreshing taste.

Incidentally, low-temperature pasteurized milk is also common in Italy.

Happy Milk is a gelato that lets you savor the richness and smoothness of milk.

If this is your first time at Oblate, this is the gelato you should definitely try first!

▼Evolutionary Strawberry Milk

As its name suggests, “Evolutionary Strawberry Milk” is gelato with the flavors of strawberry and milk.

Evolutionary Strawberry Milk is an improved, even tastier version of the strawberry milk they used to offer.

It used to have strawberry sauce mixed into the gelato, but it was improved by switching to raspberry sauce.

You can taste the milky flavor and the refreshing sweetness of strawberry.

You might expect it to taste sweet and tart because it contains raspberries, but when you try it, you’ll find it has a stronger strawberry flavor than the previous strawberry milk!

▼Italian Chocolate

“Italian Chocolate” is an authentic chocolate-flavored gelato made with a blend of three kinds of cacao.

Its deep, dark brown appearance may give you the impression that it is bitter.
But it isn’t very bitter, and you can enjoy a rich sweetness like that of fresh chocolate.

This chocolate is made the same way as in Italy!

▼Hazelnut Chocolate

“Hazelnut Chocolate” is a classic gelato that is popular with people of all ages in Italy, the home of gelato.

As its name suggests, hazelnuts are blended into the chocolate.

The result is a mellow chocolate sweetness complemented by the distinctive, fragrant flavor of hazelnuts.

Recommended for chocolate lovers!

▼Pistachio

“Pistachio” is a standout flavor that is rapidly gaining popularity among Oblate’s gelato offerings.

Made with plenty of Italian pistachios, it fills your mouth with a rich pistachio flavor.

The pistachios come from Sicily, a famous pistachio-producing region of Italy.

Some people choose a double with pistachio and hazelnut, enjoying the flavors of two different kinds of nuts.

Thanks to the reputation that “Oblate’s pistachio gelato is delicious,” its popularity has spread by word of mouth.

Pistachio costs 100 yen extra.

▼Biscotti

“Biscotti” is a biscuit-flavored gelato.
The biscuits have a caramel flavor.

Enjoy a rich, full-bodied sweetness, as if you were eating a biscuit.

This is a popular gelato that is attracting a growing number of repeat customers.

A hint of cinnamon aroma is another highlight!

▼Amarena Cherry

“Amarena Cherry” is Italian black cherries preserved in syrup.

The cherries are made into a sauce and mixed into the gelato, along with crushed pieces.
Cherry pieces are also added on top.

The rich sweetness of the amarena cherries and the firm, juicy texture of the fruit provide a lovely accent.

Gelato made with Amarena cherries is popular in Italy!

▼Italian Classico

“Italian Classico” is a type of gelato called “Buontalenti,” which has been enjoyed in Italy for generations.

Buontalenti is a milk-flavored gelato that won an award at a gelato competition in Florence in 1970.

Since then, it has become a traditional “taste of the city” found only in Florence.

This smooth-textured gelato is made with milk, fresh cream, egg yolks, and condensed milk.

It has a rich sweetness that’s different from Happy Milk.
Some customers apparently order a double scoop of Italian Classico and Happy Milk to compare the two.

Italian Classico is especially popular with middle-aged and older men.

In Japan, it might be the equivalent of the nostalgic old-fashioned “ice cream” known as aisukurin.

▼Strawberry Sorbet from Back Then

“Strawberry Sorbet from Back Then” has a flavor that’s a little different from the other gelatos.

Sorbet is the French word for sherbet.

That means you can enjoy the strawberry’s sweetness and tartness directly and intensely.

Its distinctive texture is somewhat sticky yet smooth, another feature that sets it apart from other gelatos.
This is something you can only enjoy in the sorbet series.

Sorbet also contains no milk at all, so people with milk allergies can enjoy it too.

Its sweet-and-sour flavor brings to mind the pangs of first love, so we named it “from back then.”

▼Chicory Coffee

“Chicory Coffee” has coffee in its name, but it contains no coffee.

It’s made from a leafy vegetable called chicory, but you can enjoy an almost identical bitter flavor to coffee.

As soon as I tasted it, I noticed a caramel-like flavor, followed by a coffee-like bitterness.

I felt it had a deeper flavor than regular coffee.
It reminded me of coffee milk with a slightly stronger coffee flavor.

It’s a flavor you can enjoy even if you don’t like coffee.

Chicory Coffee is a healthy gelato that is caffeine-free and rich in dietary fiber.

▼Pear Sorbet

“Pear Sorbet” is a gelato available for a limited time in autumn.
As its name suggests, it’s a pear sorbet (sherbet).

Enjoy its richly flavored, juicy sweetness, as if you were eating a pear.
Its smooth texture, characteristic of sorbet, is another highlight.

Apparently, many customers eagerly await the arrival of Pear Sorbet.

In autumn 2019 (the first year of Reiwa), we used Hosui pears, but in autumn 2020 we tried Nijisseiki pears!
We’d like to try using a variety of different cultivars.

▼Framboise

Framboise means raspberry.
In other words, it’s raspberry sorbet.

You might imagine it would be quite sour.
When I actually tried it, it wasn’t as sour as I expected.

Its refreshing sweetness is balanced by just the right amount of tartness.

Framboise gelato has a very refreshing, fruity flavor with a clean finish.

▼Gentle Anno Sweet Potato

“Gentle Anno Sweet Potato” is a seasonal gelato.
Since it was October when we visited, it was right in season.

The Anno sweet potato’s distinctive rich flavor and sweetness are sure to appeal to Japanese people.

It tastes just like sweet potato confectionery.

This gelato makes the most of the Anno sweet potato’s sweetness.

It’s so popular that even after Anno sweet potato season ends, customers still ask, “Do you have Anno sweet potato gelato?”

Enjoy the popular signature item “Happy Milk” in a single cone

I tried the popular signature item “Happy Milk” in a cone.

This is their signature gelato, made with milk from Kisuki Dairy, which Nishino, formerly a milkman, fell in love with.

What’s more, it uses milk from two breeds: Holstein and Brown Swiss.

They make gelato separately from each breed’s milk, then blend the two gelatos together—a labor-intensive process.

Holstein milk has a light flavor, while Brown Swiss milk is rich, so combining the two creates a deep, complex taste.

The rich milk flavor of Happy Milk spreads through your mouth.

It has a rich sweetness, but the sweetness doesn’t linger after you’ve eaten it.

The increasingly popular “Pistachio” in a single cup

“Pistachio” is just as popular as Happy Milk.

Since the gelato is green, at first glance you might imagine matcha or melon flavor.

When I tried it, I first noticed a rich yet refreshing sweetness, followed by the pleasantly fragrant flavor of pistachio spreading through my mouth.

The crunchy texture of the pistachio pieces sprinkled over the gelato adds a nice accent.

The pistachio flavor that spreads when you bite into them is delightful too.

The sweetness is truly perfectly balanced: sweet enough to satisfy someone with a sweet tooth like me, but not too sweet, and it doesn’t linger.

The pistachio flavor also comes through nicely.

It made me want to have another one.

“Italian Chocolate” and “Italian Classico” in a double cone

I tried “Italian Chocolate,” said to be popular after Shiawase Milk and pistachio, and “Italian Classico,” which the owner, Nishino, especially recommends, in a double cone.

Italian Chocolate is characterized by its rich chocolate flavor and intense sweetness.

Its thick, sticky texture also leaves an impression.

I also enjoyed the sweet aroma of chocolate.

Italian Classico was the only gelato among those sampled during the interview that contained chicken eggs.

The flavor created by milk, cream, egg yolk, and condensed milk is a little different from Shiawase Milk.

Shiawase Milk had a strong milky flavor, while the egg in Italian Classico gives it a distinctive richness.

Both leave no lingering sweetness, but Italian Classico felt even lighter and more refreshing.

I think the combination of the intensely sweet Italian Chocolate and the mellow sweetness of Italian Classico works quite well.

“Biscotti” and “Amarena Cherry” in a double cup

I tried Nishino’s recommended “Biscotti” and “Amarena Cherry” in a double cup.

Biscotti is gelato with caramel-flavored biscuits mixed in.

There are also pieces of caramel-flavored biscuit on top of the gelato.

The rich, full-bodied sweetness of the caramel is addictive.

A subtle hint of cinnamon, which doesn’t overpower the caramel flavor, also adds a nice accent.

The other flavor served alongside it in the double scoop is Amarena Cherry.

A sauce is made from cherries preserved in syrup and mixed into the gelato.

Cherry flesh is also mixed into the gelato, with pieces of fruit placed on top.

Its rich, grown-up sweetness, the juicy, springy texture of the fruit, and the intense cherry flavor make it an addictive treat.

I also detected a hint of rum raisin.

“Evolved Strawberry Milk” and “Gentle Anno Imo” in a double cup

I ordered the improved version of the former Strawberry Milk, “Evolved Strawberry Milk,” and the seasonal “Gentle Anno Imo” in a double cup.

▼The combination of pale pink and pale yellow gives it a playful look.

▼Evolved Strawberry Milk has colors that bring strawberries and milk to mind.

When you taste it, the rich flavor of milk and the refreshing sweetness of strawberries spread through your mouth.

I heard raspberry sauce was mixed in, but its sweet-and-tart flavor is subtle.

Instead, the strawberry and milk flavors stood out.

▼“Gentle Anno Imo,” available from fall through winter.

The mellow sweetness of the sweet potato, like that of roasted sweet potatoes, paired well with the milky flavor.

I think this flavor is irresistible for sweet potato lovers, whether they enjoy roasted sweet potatoes or sweet potato pastries.

The mellow Anno sweet potato gelato evokes the feeling of autumn.

Next, we interviewed Daisuke Nishino, representative of Oblate and a gelato maker.

Gelato Oblate. (GELATO OBLATE.) Information

Name	Gelato Oblate. (GELATO OBLATE.)
Address	3-9-24 Tamashima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture
Contact	080-9130-4400
Parking	Available 5 spaces (The parking lot at the drainage facility opposite the shop may also be used for up to one hour.)
Hours	11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. ※Winter: 11:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (The exact winter period is not fixed.)
Closed	Monday, Tuesday If a closure falls on a public holiday, the days off shift to the following days. (Example) If Monday is a public holiday: closed Tuesday and Wednesday
Payment methods	Cash PayPay
Reservations	Available Items can be held
Seating	None ※Outdoor benches and dining area available
Smoking	Entire premises non-smoking
Restroom	Western-style toilet
Website	Oblate: Official Instagram

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