Making the best ice cream in the world is no simple feat and every gelato maker has their own stash of secret recipes that make each flavor of gelato not only different from its neighbor on display, but distinct to each store as well.
Making the best ice cream in the world is no simple feat and every gelato maker has their own stash of secret recipes that make each flavor of gelato not only different from its neighbor on display, but distinct to each store as well.
7/15/2011 - AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- My friend Sarah and I did not have to travel far on our quest to find out what makes Italy's famous gelato so good. In the heart of Aviano, Italy, Il Gelato's owner, Patrizia and her helper and translator Serena met us in a full gelato-making uniform of tunic and baking hat. Patrizia has been in the gelato business for more than 25 years and agreed to meet us one Friday afternoon to unveil some of the secrets of this unique art.
"Each gelato-maker has her own distinct way." Serena explains.
Making the best ice cream in the world is no simple feat and every gelato maker has her own stash of secret recipes that make each flavor of gelato not only different from its neighbor on display, but distinct to each store as well.
"We start preparing the first batch of the day at 8:30 am." Serena said.
Gelato-making at Il Gelato takes place in the morning for about five hours, but the store is open from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.daily.
"Closing time all depends on the crowd" Serena explained. "Patrizia tries to gauge how much gelato to make in the morning to be served for that day and they try to sell it all before the night is up."
Unlike in the United States, there is no close of business ceiling for this hard-working pair.
"We don't like to see the gelato wasted, so we try to sell as much as possible by the end of the night," Serena said.
Leftover gelato is an unhappy end because most gelato stores pride themselves on making their batches fresh daily.
The finished product is not the only thing that is fresh; gelato is full of many natural ingredients as well. To get a closer look, Patrizia took Sarah and I behind the counter and into a whole new world: the kitchen. Beyond the attractive colors of the store's decorations and mouth-watering displays, is a tiny room filled with large, humming machines. A big bowl of freshly cut melon sat on the counter, awaiting our arrival. The fruit comes from a local wholesale store in the neighboring town of Fontanafredda.
Carefully, Patrizia measures dextrose, glucose, flour from guaro seeds, sugar and water into a 5-gallon bucket, eyeing the weight balance like a hawk.
"For all the non-fruit gelatos we do not add water but eggs and milk instead," Patrizia explained, informing us that it is used in the dairy-based gelatos as a conglomerate.
After the precise measurements have been made, the melon gelato ingredients fall to the mercy of a huge hand-held blender. The new melon smoothie then proceeds to a specific type of freezing machine. If the gelato was dairy-based, it would enter into a pasteurizer at the top of the machine before filtering into the main compartment. Ten minutes of humming and hawing later, Patrizia pulled down on a knob lower on the machine. Slowly, in thick heavy clumps, orange-pink bundles fall into a waiting metal pan. Patrizia expertly combed the masses into appealing formations as they fall. When the freezing machine has no more gelato to spit out, the metal pan is transferred to a fast freezer for two to three minutes where it receives its firm shape. When it emerges, Sarah and I get our first opportunity to taste test before the pan is then moved to yet another freezer until it is ready to be offered to the public.
The cool, smooth taste of melon gelato is to die for - but then, what flavor of gelato isn't superb? With the wide variety out there, you are sure to find one if not 15 new favorites to crave on a hot day.
"My favorite flavor is tiramisu!" Serena chirped.
Patrizia likes the good ol'-chocolate gelato the best. Il Gelato is constantly showcasing a variety of sound classics and interesting new experiments. Along with gelato, certain types of cakes and meringues are also available for purchase as well.
Summer is perhaps one of the most popular times to serve gelato and its dessert cousins but Il Gelato, with its steady stream of costumers, stays open 10 out of the 12 months of the year. So no matter what the weather, you can enjoy Italian's finest ice cream just outside your front door! Buon appetitto!
Comments
7/25/2011 5:05:42 PM ET I so Loved this gelato while I was stationed there it was the BEST EVER Wish they had somewhere in the states this good.
