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History shows that
human beings have strived very hard for many centuries to create the coldest
and most refreshing drinks in some of the hottest seasons, simply by using
water, flavors and if possible ice or snow.
Gelato was created
in Italy in the far North by the people of Dolomite and in the far South by
Sicilians. In Dolomite the Gelato was made with milk, cream, sugar, eggs,
and natural flavors. Snow was stored in the cantina (basement) during the
Winter seasons and when tourists were traveling during the Summertime into
the mountains of Dolomite, the sale of Gelato was one of the major sources
of income for its people. Gelato was considered to be a rich-man's dessert
and few people could afford it. As a result of reduced tourism in Dolomite
during the Winter seasons and Summer income not being sufficient for its
Artisans to support their families, there was a great seasonal migration of
Dolomite Artisans to Austria, Germany, Switzerland and France to sell Gelato
in the rich communities. Consequently, throughout the decades Italians were
dominant in the business of milk based Gelato in the Northern regions and
neighboring countries. In the far South, Gelato was lower in fat,
predominantly water based, slightly higher in sugar content and was called
""Sorbetto," known today as "Sorbet." Similar conditions to the Dolomite
region were used in the South, especially in Sicily where underground
storages, some as deep as 30 meters (over 90 feet) were used to store
compacted snow. Likewise, local Sicilian Artisans would travel to the
neighboring countries to sell their wonderful dessert to rich clients.
It is no secret
that the Gelato found today is not produced through methods that were used
many decades ago because Gelato is produced using much better techniques
today. There isn't a tourist that travels through Italy and is not amazed by
the magnificent wonder known as Gelato. We ask you to close your eyes and
imagine yourself in the Alps of Italy, now you can open your eyes and see
the greatest Gelato ever created brought to the greatest country in the
world.
Gelato
Water Ice
- Sometimes called Italian Ice.
- Uses extracts or filtered fruit juices as the major
flavor ingredient.
- Is a coarser, colder-tasting product than sorbetto.
- Generally uses more sugar than sorbetto.
- Is considered a more pedestrian dessert sold in
pizza parlors, street corners, and markets as a single service product.
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