We are on our way to Portofino early, in an attempt to enjoy the candy-colored village before the inevitable crowds arrive. A relaxing, luxurious girls’ weekend filled with trofie al pesto and pansotti alla salsa di noci, stuffed anchovies, along with sips of barsotto to wash it all down, seems like just the thing to cure the blues brought on by a stretch of rainy days in the city.

It’s none of these delicacies, however, that turn our dispositions sunny. Rather, our lasting obsession, our recurring craving, is something we’d never even heard of before: a gloriously sumptuous ice cream cup known as il paciugo.