A Brief History of Gelato
Gelato dates back to the 16th century when it was introduced in the Florentine court of Francesco de Medici by Bernardo Buontalenti.
In addition to creating the first gelato recipes, Buontalenti also devised special techniques for the freezing and refrigeration of gelato. The young Catherine de' Medici apparently took this magical dish to France when she went there in 1533 to marry the Duke d'Orleans.
Charles I, as the story goes, may have rewarded his own ice-cream maker with a lifetime pension on condition that he did not divulge his secret recipe to anyone, thereby keeping gelato as only a royal treat. Fortunately, the "secret" to making this wonderful creation spread rapidly in Europe to be passed on through the centuries.
If you ever travel to Italy you will see that every city you visit will have a gelateria (retail gelato shop) on, just about, every street corner. These special places have become part of Italian life. The very best gelato is made by skilled artisans that have learned and mastered their craft through years and years of experience with recipes that have been passed down in the family, and they keep them very secret.
They approach making gelato with the same passion, dedication and creativity of a great artist. The gelato is made fresh daily in small batches using only natural ingredients. Typical Italian gelaterie display and store their products in very special, visually stunning glass display freezer cases. The many colors and flavors are just as pleasing to the eye as they are to the taste buds.
Buon Giorno Gelato seeks to recreate this wonderful experience in an American context.
Gelato vs. Ice Cream
Gelato in Italian literally means frozen, but is basically used to indicate the Italian type ice cream. The Gelato has an entirely different productive process than the ice cream found in the United States. Some of the basic differences are:
• Gelato doesn't contain as much air (referred to as overrun in the industry) as its American counterpart and is, therefore, more intensely flavored than ice cream.
• Gelato is made fresh daily and is a combination of whole milk, sugar and natural flavoring.
• Gelato is less firmly frozen and softer than ice cream (gelato is stored at approximately +7 °F as opposed to ice cream which is stored at -10 °F).
• Gelato is healthier than ice cream since it is made with all natural ingredients and contains less calories and less butter fat (0% to 8% fat, as opposed to 16% to 30% fat in most premium ice cream)
Making gelato fresh daily in small batches differs considerably from the concept of ice cream in the U.S., where large manufacturing plants produce thousands of gallons of ice cream per batch on an industrial scale. Mass produced ice cream invariably uses some preservatives to allow it to be stored for very long periods of time as it travels through traditional distribution channels. Throughout this entire process, as it moves from manufacturers to wholesalers, to distributors, to retailers, and ultimately to final consumers, the ice cream ends up being stored for months.
Italian Espresso & Cappuccino
Coffee is not grown in Italy, but did you know that the first commercial espresso machine was manufactured in Italy in the early 1900's?
In Italy coffee and espresso are synonymous; you go to a bar ask for coffee and get an espresso.
Espresso can be: lungo (more watery), ristretto (much denser), macchiato (with a little milk), corretto (with a little liquor of your choosing). Italians do not drink coffee during their meal, always at the end of the meal as an after dinner drink.
Italian Espresso gets it's rich, smooth, aromatic flavor from the way the beans have been roasted. They pay particular attention to the roasting process by controlling the humidity, timing, and of course the source of green coffee beans.
Panini
When it comes to food, Italians know how to do it.
Buon Giorno Gelato has assembled a list of bruschette, wraps, and sandwiches to make the best sandwich shops jealous.
Starting with some of the best imported Southern Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil DOC (of controlled origin), cold pressed from Peranzane olives, in the Puglia region on the Adriatic Sea. Also imported are pates from the same region, made with extra virgin olive oil and Italian sausage, and all kind of cold cuts and imported prosciutto.
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