Gelato, the Italian-origin ice cream. Do you know that Gelato is equally popular, if not more, than ice cream in the USA? Although many people may confuse Gelato with regular ice cream, there are some subtle differences between the two. For instance, they are made differently. Here we would like to mention that you can get different ice creams in the our store in Miami or onlline. Make sure to check it out.
Now you may wonder, what is the origin of Gelato, and how did this wonderful frozen dessert make its way to the USA? If you want to know, then this article is for you. Here we will discuss the history of Gelato. So let us begin right away.
The history of Gelato
Gelato dates back more than thousands of years. It is one of the oldest frozen desserts on Earth.
The actual origin of Gelato is quite unknown. But it is considered that Gelato originated from Italy. The earliest record of Gelato(before it was given its current form and named Gelato) was in 3000 B.C. Asian culture has discovered the combination of crushed ice and various flavorings. After five hundred years of this discovery, it became part of Egyptian culture.
Back then, it was a custom for Pharaohs of Egypt to offer guests a cup of shaved ice with flavorings and fruit juices. Later, the Italians adopted this into their culture, but in a bit different way. The Italians would make shaved ice with honey toppings. But it was not like the Gelato it is now.
The tradition of Gelato was rising in Italy during the Italian Renaissance. During that time, the Medici family sponsored a contest in Florence. The purpose of this contest was to discover the best-frozen dessert. One of the participants was Cosimo Ruggeri, an alchemist. The Gelato(not the modern Gelato) he created at that competition was called the egg cream gelato. His Gelato was highly praised by Francesco Redi and Lorenzo Magalotti. It was the center of attention then but not available to the public yet. They were available for very rich families in their public residences. Part of the reason was the expensive price of ice and salt.
Later in the late 1500s, the Medici family hired Bernardo Buntalenti (a famous artist and architect of that time; Heals possessed good culinary skills) to prepare a feast for the King of Spain who was visiting Italy. Bernardo Buntalenti prepared a gorgeous and elaborate display. But the best part was the creamy frozen dessert he prepared for the king, which is what we know as Gelato. But then, it was not famous because it was not publicly available.
The first publicly available Gelato was in 1686, thanks to the Sicilian Francesco Procopio Cutò. He brought Gelato to the public by opening a cafe called Café Le Procope in Paris. It was all thanks to this man who made Gelato famous all over Europe for the first time.
The Café Le Procope soon became a popular cafe for all kinds of luxurious desserts. They sold exotic coffee, chocolates, and Gelato(more refined).
Later in the 20th century, the Gelato cone was introduced, becoming a standard in commercial Gelato production. During this time (1904), Emery Thompson invented the first automatic Ice cream machine, which hugely impacted the American frozen dessert market.
On the other hand, Bruto Carpigiani from Bologna was working on inventing a new Gelato machine for efficient and clean Gelat production. Now Carpigiani is one of the industrial giants producing the most Gelat-machines worldwide.
In the 1950s, Gelato became a flagship dessert of Italy. More innovations for Gelato were still happening in Italy because of technological improvement.
Gelato in America
Gelato came to the USA after a long time since its inception in Paris. Gelat was first brought to America in 1770. Giovanni Basiolo brought it to America. He started by bringing Gelato to New York City.
When Gelato was introduced to America, there were two types of Gelato. Sarbetto (made with water, lemon, strawberries, etc.), the other one had no specific name, but it was made with milk, pistachio, cinnamon, coffee, and chocolate. As you can see, they were still not like the modern Gelat that we consume today.
It was not until 1846 that the Americans changed their recipe and method of making Gelato with the refinement of a hand-crank freezer. This is where the rise of industrial ice cream happened, which directly rivaled the presence of the Italian Gelato among Americans.
Ice cream, compared to Gelato, was more creamy, contained more air, and had less density. It was a very tight spot for Gelato in America as the general consumers preferred ice cream. But eventually, in the late 1900s, Gelato got more recognition for its superior and intense flavor (because of the efficient Gelat machines made by Carpigiani).
Is Gelato the same as Ice Cream
As we have briefly mentioned before, Gelato is different from ice cream. Not only do they differ in origin, but there are other differences in the way they are made, the ingredients used, and how they are presented. In this section, let us discuss more the differences between Gelato and ice cream.
Origin
The first difference is the origin. Gelato came before Ice cream. Gelato’s origin is considered to be Italy. Ice cream, however, was invented in America after the invention of the automatic ice cream machine by Emery Thompson.
Texture
Gelato and Ice cream have significant differences in their textures. The Gelato that is produced now has a more elastic texture. In the past, before the invention of the Gelato machine, it had a granular texture.
On the other hand, Ice cream is milkier and creamier than Gelato because of its different ingredients.
Ingredients
Gelato uses more milk, less cream, and flavoring. You will notice that Gelat does not include any egg yolk. However, some homemade Gelato recipes include egg yolk as a natural emulsifier.
Ice cream contains milk, sugar, egg yolks, butterfat, and flavorings. The proportion of these ingredients is tinkered with to achieve different results.
Flavor Intensity
The flavor is more intense in Gelato. That is because Gelato does not contain very less fat (butterfat level is between 4 to 9 percent) and no egg yolks. But Ice cream’s flavor is less intense compared to Gelato.
Ice cream contains 10 to 25 percent butterfat. In addition, there is egg yolk. Because of these ingredients, and less density, ice cream has less intense flavoring.
Presentation
Gelato is presented at 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand, Ice cream is served at 6 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Ice cream is comparatively more color than Gelato, which makes ice cream great for summer.
Conclusion
Gelato is one of the oldest frozen desserts on Earth. Sure the Gelato that we have now is significantly different from what it was before, but let us not forget about its intense flavor and taste.
However, if you want something cold for summer, then you will be better off with ice cream because it is served at a more freezing temperature. Be sure to check our online store for some great gelato.
Source Link
https://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/taste-history-gelato
https://botolino.com/blog/post/a-brief-history-of-gelato
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelato
https://www.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/news/2015/06/gelato-vs-ice-cream-whats-the-difference