Gelato: The Real Scoop

Dense, Delicious & Different, Gelato vs. Ice Cream

Page 1: What Is Gelato?

CAPSULE REPORT: Learn the difference between ice cream and gelato, and then treat yourself to a scoop. If there’s no gelateria in your neighborhood, you can order from the great ones below. This is Page 1 of a three page article. Click on the black links below to visit other pages.

Introduction

It seems there is nothing that Stephanie Reitano would rather talk about than gelato. That’s fortunate, as she and her husband own two gelaterie (gelato parlors) in Philadelphia, and she is the gelato maker. It’s an odd turn in her life, as she never cared for frozen desserts until she and her husband traveled to Italy. They went to Capri, and, on the way to their hotel, her husband stopped and bought a gelato. She tasted it and was “floored” by the incredible flavor. That was the beginning of a journey that led her away from the law school she was supposed to attend and into a very small (800 square feet) commercial kitchen. These days, Reitano divides her time between conjuring new flavors into being; dealing with local suppliers and chefs; trying to get her gelato, Capogiro Gelato Artisans, into the public eye; and being a wife and mother of three.

If you’re curious about the differences between gelato and ice cream, those are best expressed by Pete Palazzolo, of Palazzolo’s Artisan Gelato & Sorbetto in Saugatuck, Michigan. “Gelato is simply ice cream,” he states, “Ice cream the way it was before the American Industrial Revolution blew it full of air and artificially flavored it.”

Overrun Explained

The air he’s talking about is referred to in the trade as “overrun.” Technically, overrun is the increase in the volume of the finished frozen dessert over the volume of base (or mix) used; in practical terms, it’s the amount of air whipped into the ice cream during the manufacturing process. Once upon a not-so-long-ago time, ice cream was hand-cranked in buckets filled with ice and salt. The ice cream was stirred slowly during this process, which didn’t allow for the incorporation of much air. Then, the continuous-batch freezer system was developed. This allows for far less hand labor, much swifter production speed, and no ice or salt. It also allows manufacturers to set the amount of air they want mixed into their base. Palazzolo claims that most American brands of bulk ice cream range from 60% to 120% overrun (that means they consist of 30% to 60% air). Air, of course, increases the volume of a frozen dessert, and allows a manufacturer to produce (and sell) more product without using correspondingly more ingredients. Even a better-quality ice cream might have overrun of as much as 50%. By contrast, according to Palazzolo, traditionally-made gelato should contain under 20% overrun (10% air). The result will be a texture denser than that of ice cream. Because of this increased density, gelato’s texture is very creamy, even though it has less butterfat content than most ice creams.

Gelato Is Milk-Based

Yes, that’s right; gelato contains less fat than do many ice creams. Most superpremium ice creams in the U.S. have a butterfat content of 15% to 18%; gelato’s butterfat content normally runs from 4% to 14%.

While ice cream often contains more cream than milk, gelato is most often made from milk, with only a little cream, if any at all.
The significantly greater amount of butterfat in ice cream tends to coat the mouth, and especially the tongue, where your taste buds are located; this can mask flavors. In addition, gelato tends to have a higher proportion of flavoring than does ice cream.
And, rather than using flavorings, traditional gelato uses real ingredients, like strawberries or caramelized sugar. That’s why it’s customary for a good-quality hazelnut gelato to have a heightened, true hazelnut flavor, for instance, and why a gelato cioccolato can have an intense chocolate taste.

Milk
One key difference between ice cream and gelato is that ice cream is most often made just from milk. That’s why it has less fat than ice cream, even though it is creamier due to its greater density.

Some gelato manufacturers make a big point of trumpeting that their products are lower in calories and fat than ice creams. That’s accurate, but gelato is by no means a low-calorie dessert. A half-cup serving of gelato can easily provide 180 or more calories; fat can account for one-quarter to one-third or more of those calories.

Continue To Page 2: Domestic Gelato

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Domestic Gelato

There are many large ice cream corporations in the U.S., but very few produce truly excellent products. There are far fewer giants in the gelato world here, so if you’re lucky enough to live near a gelateria, your chances of getting gelato that’s fresh and and well-made are somewhat improved.

Berries

Gelato-makers Stephanie Reitano of Philadelphia and Pete Palazzolo in Michigan both make everything from scratch. No fruit purees are purchased, although good ones are available. To ensure the very best, they make their own from scratch, selecting the best fresh fruit in season.

This is one aspect where Capogiro’s Reitano believes her products shine. She makes only 1.3 gallon batches at a time, and everything is made from scratch, including the caramelized sugar used in her Burnt Sugar flavor. She is adamant about using the best-quality ingredients she can find, although she understands this raises the price of her gelato significantly. Reitano buys her milk from a single herd of cows that are grass-fed and hormone-free; the Amish farmer who owns the cows calls her in spring to warn her when it is onion grass season (his cattle love to munch onion grass, and that lends an off-taste to their milk). She sticks to seasonal flavors and says she really looks forward to new fruit coming in each year. She confesses to already being nervous about the coming summer, though; if it rains too much in spring, the only raspberries she’ll use in her products will become moldy before they can ripen. Palazzolo, like Reitano, is intensely preoccupied with the quality of his ingredients; he insists on real liqueurs, actual fruits (not extracts), genuine chocolate, and the like. He has nothing but contempt for the modern-day powdered mixes that can be used to make gelato, some of which are oil- or starch-based.

By tradition, gelato is produced in flavors associated with Italy, where it originated. Nocciola (hazelnut), coffee, gianduja (a divine blend of chocolate and hazelnut), fragola (strawberry), fior di latte (“flower of milk,” rather like a vanilla without the vanilla, otherwise interpreted as “cream”), and the aforementioned cioccolato are old standbys. But some of the gelati (the plural of “gelato”) made in the U.S. have a distinct American twist that emerges in flavors such as Il Laboratorio del Gelato’s Pumpkin or Maple Walnut.

The “king of flavors,” however, at least among gelato-makers who ship their products, must be Palazzolo’s. They offer more than 500 flavors of gelato, including Sundried Cranberry, Dark Chocolate Raspberry Swirl, and, for the adventurous in spirit, unusual choices like their Roasted Garlic Vanilla (they also carry more traditional Italian flavors, such as tiramisu and pistachio). Palazzolo’s will even custom-make a flavor for you, if you can’t find one you fancy in their roster.

Gelato What was that about gelato makers who ship their products, you ask? Yes, there are a modest number in the U.S. who will deliver their gelato even unto your very doorstep. Be aware that these gelato shipments are not inexpensive, but you’re talking about a frozen dessert made with top-quality ingredients by people who are passionate about their products, if not clinically obsessed with them. And it’s no different than having your favorite wine or steaks or cheesecake sent to you. As with the steaks and cheesecake, the most important part of having gelato shipped is that someone needs to be home to receive it and get it into the freezer promptly. It comes packed in dry ice and, if you have a neighbor or a concierge, it can wait for your return for several hours—but not for a day.

One more consideration: Most gelato-makers do not have large stocks of any one flavor on hand available for shipping, and some ship on a limited basis because of that. They best producers make their products in small batches; so you can’t necessarily call one of the producers listed below and expect a large amount of frozen gratification in any flavor on the list to arrive the next day. Depending on what you ask for, they may require time to make the exquisite creation. Some things in life are worth waiting for, and good gelato is one of them.

Treat Yourself To Some Great Gelato

As a congratulatory gift, for a foodie friend’s birthday, or just as a treat for yourself, it’s hard to beat a gelato made by someone who really cares about what they’re doing. Listed below are four gelato-makers in the U.S. who ship. Note that all of these companies make and ship sorbetto (dairy-free), as well.

Capogiro Gelato Artisans. Two words: Burnt Sugar. Silken-smooth, with a fabulously creamy texture, this gelato really does taste like the top of a crème brulée, just as the website promises. The Cioccolato Scuro is a dream come true for fans of bittersweet. The extensive flavor list honors both the traditional and the modern. There are two gelaterie in Philadelphia; and a sampling of flavors are available in a some Whole Foods Markets and other specialty food stores.

Ciao Bella Gelato Company. Certainly the largest and best-known company on this list, Ciao Bella has scoop shops in some states and is sold in some upscale markets. Otherwise, you can order online, choosing from such gelato flavors as Green Tea with White Chocolate Chunks, Hazelnut or the Fresh Mint with Chocolate Chips. While your at it, the Blood Orange Sorbetto is divine.

Il Laboratorio del Gelato. This is New York City’s best-regarded gelateria. The shop itself is on Orchard Street on the Lower East Side. Jon Snyder started Ciao Bella Gelato in Manhattan some years ago when he was 19 years old, became a smashing success with his breadth of fresh flavors, burned out and sold the company. After September 11, he decided to start another business in Manhattan. He’s back in the business with a small shop making hand-crafted, artisanal gelati. Mr. Snyder has a tidy roster of flavors but ships a somewhat more limited range.

Palazzolo’s Artisan Gelato & Sorbetto. What’s more fun than opening a stack of presents on your birthday? Ordering Palazzolo’s “The Sampler”: 27 assorted cups, each 6 ounces, of whatever is being made fresh at the time. You never know just what you’ll get; this is a gelato party waiting to happen. Note that this company does not ship pints; if you don’t order a Sampler, you can only get ice cream in 172 ounce tubs (about 1.3 gallons). There’s a huge range of flavors and custom flavors (in essence, you can have your gelato and eat it, too).

Books About Gelato


Gelato!: Italian Ice Cream, Sorbetti & Granite, by Pamela Sheldon Johns, Joyce Oudkerk-Pool. This book is an authority on all things cool and Italian. Click here for more information.	The Ultimate Ice Cream Book: Over 500 Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, Drinks and more, by Bruce Weinstein. Here are recipes for just about every ice cream imaginable, from four different versions of plain old vanilla to avocado ice cream. Click here for more information.	Frozen Desserts: The definitive guide to making ice creams, ices, sorbets, gelati, and other frozen delights, by Caroline Liddell and Robin Weir. Among the more than 200 recipes, you will find nine for vanilla ice cream, a truly drop-dead chocolate ice cream, and rocky road. Click here for more information.


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