What is Gelato?

Gelato comes from the Italian verb gelare, meaning "to freeze", so in Italy the term is typically used to describe all kinds of frozen desserts. Primarily the terms gelati (plural) or gelato (singular) refer to milk-based frozen "ice creams"; sorbetti (sorbet) contains no milk but pureed fruit and juice; granite is a coarse ice-and-fruit based offering typically enjoyed in a glass. Gelato can be mixed with whipped cream for a "partly cold" dessert known as semifreddo, or layered in cakes with fruit, nuts and cookies for specialty holiday desserts.

Why is gelato different from American ice cream? Gelato is typically prepared in small batches to be consumed the day of production, without the use of stabilizers, emulsifying agents or chemical preservatives (gelato texture degrades rapidly if hard-frozen too long). It is lighter in texture and flavor than American ice cream, generally made with no more than 6-7% butterfat (American ice cream is generally around 14%). Gelato does tend to have a higher sugar content, in the 16-24% range versus 12 to 16% for U.S. ice cream.

Gelato recipes vary quite a bit throughout the different regions of Italy as well. In the south of Italy and Sicily, vegetable starch may be added instead of eggs, along with cheese, to thicken the mixture. Central Italy specializes in a custard-style gelato made with a milk and egg base. In Northern Italy, heavy cream is preferred to make an even richer base for the custard. No matter which proportion of milk, eggs, cream and sugar is used, the gelato mixture is churned during freezing to result in a light, smooth and airy texture. Served at a higher temperature than hard-frozen ice cream, the flavors of fresh gelato burst onto your taste buds, not so numbed by the cold as in our American version.

One can easily learn to make gelato at home with just basic, simple ingredients - and a quality gelato machine. Gelato should be made with seasonally appropriate ingredients and can include savory spice notes (like sage or rosemary) as well as sweet fruit, sugar and chocolates. Spirits can be added to gelato as well for an adult treat, although they must be used sparingly as the alcohol content makes it difficult for the gelato to even partially freeze.

If you are fortunate enough to be traveling to Italy, then you absolutely must visit an authentic gelateria and sample the many wonderful flavors available. Indeed, do not be surprised to become so addicted to the taste of fresh gelato in Italy that you crave it at all hours of the day: morning, noon and night! On a hot summer day, nothing is better for breakfast than a cool cup of gelato and an espresso to beat the heat. And in the evening, sit by a fountain with your gelato and enjoy the sights and sounds around you.When you enter an authentic gelateria, typically there will be a large case with all of the day's gelato on colorful display.

If you don't know Italian, don't worry - each gelato will usually sport samples of its ingredients decoratively displayed on top of it, such as whole vanilla beans on Fior de latte, wild strawberries on Fragoline, or hazelnuts on the Nocciola. You may request an "assaggio" or taste of any you may wish to sample before ordering. A display of cup sizes will be shown with the price of each; choose the size you wish, pay first, and then show your receipt to the gelataio (gelato maker) to order your flavors. Generally you may select 2, 3, or even 4 flavors at once depending on the size of your cup to create your own wonderful combinations (Chocolate and Banana, or Coconut and Coffee, or Egg-Custard and Caramel...the possibilities are endless!)

It's worth noting, however, that in very touristy areas of Italy and big cities like Rome, Venice and Florence, you may see lots of vendors and shops selling "gelato" that is far from the freshest available. One quick tip to tell the true artisan shops from the tourist traps: look at the Pistachio gelato: is it a fake chemical green color, or instead a light tan with pieces of visible pistachio nuts in it? Stay away from any that looks artificially colored, and look for the shops with the widest variety of unique and authentic Italian flavors.For your reference, here is a list of some of the Italian names for common gelato flavors:

Italian name

English translation

Amarena

Wild cherry

Limone

Lemon

Arancia

Orange

Miele

Honey

Canela

Cinnamon

Noce

Walnut

Cioccolate bianco

White chocolate

Pesca

Peach

Cocomero

Watermelon

Pompelmo

Grapefruit

Crema

Custard

Stracciatella

Vanilla with shaved chocolate

Fico

Fig

Tarocchio

Blood orange

Gianduia

Chocolate-hazelnut

Tartufo

Chocolate truffle

Lampone

Raspberry

Uva

Grape