By Ushara Shamini Gelato is a frozen dessert of Italian origin. It starts out with a similar custard base as ice cream but has a higher proportion of milk and a lower proportion of cream and eggs (or no eggs at all). It is churned at a much slower rate, incorporating less air and leaving the gelato denser than ice cream. The difference between ice cream and gelato There used to be many gelaterias (gelato shops) that made their own gelato using premium products and their own secret recipes. Now, the rise of factory-made gelato with its inevitable shortcuts has led to a decline in quality. Signs like “produzione propria” (produced here) or “gelato artigianale” (home-made gelato) are supposed to indicate shops that produce gelato the old-fashioned way, but this rule is often broken by gelateria that sell factory-made stuff. Why is gelato so much smoother and softer than ice cream? Ice cream in Italy is almost always made the day it is to be sold or maybe the day before. The shops that sell it swell with customers who come wanting it scooped onto a cone. As a country in a warm region, there is year-round demand, with tourists adding immeasurably to the demand. When ice cream comes out of a batch freezer (the machine that is nearly always used to produce gelato), it will be at about -6˚C. As it is then put into a display freezer for customers to see and select from, it may get down to -13˚C, but it will usually be eaten before it can reach that coldness. In any case, because it will be eaten within 48 hours of being produced, there simply isn’t enough time for new ice crystal formation, which is what will happen over many weeks in a commercial freezer. Because the ice cream/gelato is eaten at a warmer temperature – -6˚C – it will feel smoother and have more flavour than store-bought ice cream in a tub. In northern climes, the market for ice cream has a very different pattern. Proper gelaterias do appear in this landscape, but they are relatively few and far between. For example, every town in America will have a shop or store or even just a gas station that sells ice cream in tubs, stored in their freezers. Very few will have an artisan ice cream shop, which is what in effect the gelaterias of Italy are. Over time, ice cream in the freezer will have its texture deteriorate, as the butterfat and water compounds migrate apart. So makers of ice cream sold in tubs all have to contend with that fact, unlike the makers of gelato. The smoothness of the gelato has mostly to do with it being freshly made and the softness has entirely to do with it being served warmer than store-bought tubs. Some unique flavours of gelato in Italy Nowadays, so many authentic gelaterias have opened around the world. Truly experimental flavours are still not that widespread in Italy, although there are gelaterias serving flavours such as Parmigiano, beer, Prosecco, etc. Those must surely count as “unique.” However, if we are talking about flavours that are common in Italy but perhaps lesser-known abroad, I can offer a few that you might not be completely familiar with and that you should try during any Italian vacation. Crema: This can be considered a “neutral” flavour since it couples well with all others, but there’s nothing boring about it. It’s the iced version of pastry cream, custardy and delicious. Hazelnut: This is really one solid building block of Italian sweets and it tastes like Nutella. Zuppa Inglese: Custard gelato layered with Alchermes liqueur and bits of either sponge cake or cookies. Amarena: White, milky ice cream laced with Amarena cherries in syrup. Croccantino: A caramel-based gelato mixed with crunchy crumbled nuts (almonds, hazelnut). PHOTOS © PEXELS.COM Ushara Shamini is a freelance researcher, writer, junior SM executive, and translator.