The true story about Ice-Cream: the difference between Italian Gelato and Ice Cream
07/04/2015
How many times have you heard “What’s your favorite ice cream?” And do you know that you can pick between 600 different ice-cream flavors?
But today, the question is different:
Do you know the difference between Italian Ice-cream or Gelato and the “common” Ice-cream?
In Italy the word “Gelato” means “frozen” and it used to describe any type of sweet iced confection. True Italian Ice Cream is made with raw and high quality ingredients: the best bases, made with natural and non-chemical ingredients, fresh fruits and nut purees, fresh milk and sugars. So, the common ice cream that you can taste everywhere in the world isn’t the Italian Gelato….But that’s not all!
Ice Cream Vs Gelato: that’s the differences
The elements that define the main differences between Ice Cream and Italian Gelato are:
- Fat
- Air
- Temperature
Comparing common Ice Cream and Italian Gelato, we notice that:
- Italian Gelato uses more milk then cream and fewer egg yolks, so it is low in fats
- Gelato is churned at much slower speed, which introduces less air
- Ice Cream is made with cream and more fats
- Ice Cream is churned fast and hard to whip in plenty air
The really key in the process is the temperature: Ice Cream is best served around -10°F/-12C°, instead Gelato cases are set to a warmer temperature.
All these differences give to Gelato a more dense and milky texture that’s less creamy then Ice Cream. If you freeze Gelato more then you should, it’ll turn right into the dense, low fat brick it has the potential to be, but served warm it has the perfect consistency and flavor.
Italian Gelato has come of age and It is a really icon of Italian cuisine, but today, thanks to food technology, this delicious product is available everywhere and all year around. The dates talk clear: sales outlet are up 2% and between 2009 and 2013 Italian Gelato manufacturing (or artisan style gelato) grew by 5, 6%, so we’re living a veritable food market boom.
If you want read more about the manufacturing process and its Italian versions, like Sorbetto, go to the official website Alifood and read the section dedicated to frozen products.
Now, stop to talk about definitions and sit down to taste this creamy, frozen and Italian style dessert!
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