Gelato

Gelato(Italian:[dʒeˈlaːto];lit.'frozen') is the common word inItalianfor all types ofice cream. In English, it specifically refers to afrozen dessertofItalianorigin.Artisanalgelato in Italy generally contains 6–9%butterfat, which is lower than other styles of frozen dessert.Gelato typically contains 35% air (substantially less than American-style ice cream) and more flavoring than other types of frozen desserts, giving it an intense flavor with creamy, smooth texture, density and richness that distinguishes it from other ice creams.
InItalian,gelatomeans simply 'frozen' and is the generic word for any type or style ofice cream.In English, however, the term has come to be used to refer to a specific style of ice cream derived from the Italian artisanal tradition.
In the 9th century, after theMuslim conquest of Sicily, frozen desserts such assherbetwere introduced on the island.
In 1295,Marco Poloreturned to Venice from China with a recipe similar tosorbet.
Cosimo Ruggeriand Bernardo Buontalenti were 16th-century contemporaries who are credited by some sources with the invention of gelato,while other sources claims thatSiciliancooks gradually modified the sherbet recipe over time, giving birth to the earliest form of gelato.
In Florence, Cosimo Ruggeri is credited with creating one of the first gelati,fior di latte, at the court ofCatherine de' Medici, in a competition with the theme "il piatto più singolare che si fosse mai visto" (lit.'the most unique dish that had ever been seen').
In the 1530s, Catherine de' Medici took gelato to Paris.
Around 1565,Bernardo Buontalenti, an innovator in ice conservation, made a sorbet with ice, salt, lemon, wine, milk, sugar, egg, and honey,"plus orange and bergamot flavouring".Buontalenti is credited with inventinggelato alla crema,whipped cream or egg cream gelato,the precursor to modernFlorentinegelato.
In 1686,Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli, a Sicilian,brought his grandfather Francesco'sgelato-making machine to Paris, openedCafé Procopeand introduced the dessert.Procopio obtained French citizenship, and a royal license fromLouis XIV, making him the sole producer of the frozen dessert in the kingdom.Being one of the first to sell gelato directly to the public(prior to then it was reserved only for nobles),and making it known in the rest of Europe, Procopio is sometimes referred to as "the father of Italian gelato".
In 1945, inBologna, Bruto Carpigiani began selling gelato-making equipment,and created Motogelatiera, the first automated gelato machine.The batch freezer made it easier to store frozen desserts.Carpigianiis a big manufacturer of gelato machinery.
The largest ice cream cone in the world was created in 2011 in Rimini during the 32nd edition of the International Exhibition of Handcrafted Gelato, Pastry, and Bakery. The cone, made with over 2000 wafers, was 2.81 metres (9 ft 3 in) tall and weighed 70 kilograms (150 lb). Leading the team of seven artisans who accomplished the feat was the chocolatier Mirco Della Vecchia.
The process of making gelato is complex, starting with a custard base, mixed with milk and sugar, heating the ingredients to 85 °C (185 °F) forpasteurization. Then, it is lowered to 5 °C (41 °F) and mixed to the desired texture. The mixed gelato is then batched in the freezer.In the "sprint" process, milk or water is added to a package of ingredients which is then mixed and batched to achieve the proper consistency.
As with other ice creams, the sugar in gelato prevents it from freezing solid by binding to the water and interfering with the normal formation of ice crystals. This creates smaller ice crystals and results in the smooth texture of gelato.Commercial gelati are often sweetened withinverted sugar,sucrose,dextroseorxylitol,and may include astabilizersuch asguar gum.
The originalfior di latteis a plain, base ice cream with no flavor and no eggs added.Stracciatellaisfior di lattegelato with chocolate chunks. Traditional flavors of gelato includecrema('custard'),vanilla,chocolate,hazelnut,almond, andpistachio.Modern flavors include a variety of fruit flavors and also new, unexpected flavors such asextra virgin olive oilorbasil.