Gelato or ice-cream? What’s the real difference?
Even if gelato and ice-cream are cousins, and most people think that it’s the same thing, they are so different!
Where does gelato come from?
Did you know? during summer season Roman people love to substitute the entire lunch with a pretty big gelato. This recipe is dated in history. In ancient times people were already making a recipe including ice or snow and fruit juices. The ancient Arabs used to call this sweet thing Sherbet therefore, the name Sorbetto, sorbet, comes from them. Certainly, to talk about gelato we need to wait the introduction of sugar in the food making. The popularity of the recipe, as we know it today, is however due to a very important lady of the time: Caterina de Medici. It seems to be that she was the one to serve gelato to her guests during her wedding party. Moreover she was marrying not a common guy, but the King of France in person. That was the beginning of a very refined style connecting politics, power and taste. Peach sorbet, this was the magical dessert Caterina offered. A great success.
Gelato vs. Ice-Cream
Nowadays gelato is one of the most beloved dessert worldwide. Anyway the industrial one and the artisan made one are playing a totally different game. Not considering the industrial one, there is a big difference, anyway between artisans making quality and others. Quality gelato starts from quality ingredients and the difference can be huge!
Proportions of key ingredients
Key ingredients as milk, cream or egg yolks make the difference. Ice-cream is made with a base of heavy cream, milk, sugar and egg yolks. Usually it contains more butter fat, 10-20% generally. Instead, gelato contains more milk than cream and the fat content is usually around 4-9%.
Making process
The churning process between the two is pretty different. Ice-cream is churned faster and it incorporates more air, up to 50%. This is why ice-cream is fluffier than gelato, that is denser and creamier and contains only 20-30% of air. Also the texture and mouthfeel is not the same. Gelato is more silky and tends to melt faster in the mouth because it has less fat. On the other hand, ice-cream is lighter in texture but firmer on the tongue.
Serving temperature
Ice-cream is colder than gelato and served around -20°C. While gelato is served at a warmer temperature, around -14° and it helps enhancing flavor perception.
A quality artisanal gelato involves so expensive ingredients and ability to balance that is something for experts only.
Contact us if you’d like to get some recipes, to make a gelato cooking class or to know more. Recommend your friends to visit Rome and to enjoy our Espresso and gelato Tour!
