Gelato’s Tasty History
Gelato has a complex history. Gelato’s origins begin in Ancient Rome and Greece, where snow was mixed with honey and wine for a refreshing treat. It’s said they also chilled their wine with snow, creating alcoholic snow cones. Emperor Nero (37-68 CE) ordered ice to be brought from the Apennine Mountains for the creation of these admirable, sweet frozen treats.
The Renaissance Era in Florence is where the first official recipe for gelato is attributed. The 16th-century alchemist and astrologist for the Medici family, Cosimo Ruggieri, holds credit for this recipe. Ruggieri has a claim to inventing the fior di latte flavor. This new “sorbet” began in Florence but was exported to France before spreading across Europe. However, these icy treats were costly and were a delicacy that only the rich could afford, as salt and ice were costly ingredients during this era.
As gelato took shape during the Renaissance, Catherine de’ Medici married King Henry II of France and brought her Italian chefs and gelato to France.
It was the Italian architect and chef, Bernardo Buontalenti, who gets credit for perfecting the Medici court’s gelato recipe. Buontalenti’s creamy rendition combined milk, sugar, eggs, and honey.
It was not until in 1686 when the Sicilian chef Francesco Procopio Cutò opened the Café Procope in Paris. Cutò had a gelato-making machine, providing high-quality, consistent gelato flavors, which he sold at his shop, which popularized this sweet treat across Europe.
Gelato flourished in France, Italy, and throughout Europe during this time. Traveling gelato makers brought the refreshing treat across many lands. In the second half of the 18th century, the Benito School began shaping gelato into balls using a scoop, differing from the usual flat metal spatula.
The Regional Schools of Gelato: Sicily, Tuscany & the Veneto
There are three distinct regional gelato schools in Italy and each have their own unique richness and flavor profiles
Sicily: Sorbetto & Crema di Sicilia
Sultry Sicilian summers may have inspired the oldest Sicilian gelato schools, excelling in fruit and nut flavors. This dairy-based gelato has no egg yolks, making it a leaner treat. Expect brilliant almond, pistachio, or hazelnut flavors in Sicilian gelato. And, for a gelato panino of sorts, when in Sicily, try the sweetened brioche rolls filled with gelato.
Tuscany: Creamy, Eggy Traditions
The Tuscan School of Gelato is said to have been founded by Bernardo Ente in the 16th century. However, the Tuscan tradition predominantly dates back to the 1930s, beginning with a handful of shops that sold milk and sweetened whipped cream. These treats evolved, eventually becoming gelato with milk, cream, custard, water bases, boasting fruity flavors. Influenced by Buontalenti’s original recipes, Tuscans enjoy a richer, creamier gelato style. Tuscan gelato is silky and luxurious thanks to the egg yolks that are commonly used, creating a crema, or custard-like base.
Veneto: Light, Elegant & Innovative
In the Northeast part of Italy, there is a tradition in the Veneto, the region where Venice is located. It’s tied to alpine snow and valleys with grazing cows that provide high-quality dairy products for the richest, most elegant style of gelato. Milk and cream are combined in dairy bases and are even used in some fruit flavors. The style is a slightly lighter, more refined gelato, balancing richness and freshness. Venetian gelato masters opt for smooth and fluffy textures with an emphasis on cream over eggs and lighter emulsifiers, with slow churning and aeration techniques.
How to Spot Quality Gelato from Imposters
Gelato’s not to be confused with your average ice cream. Often enriched with egg yolks, nuts, coffee, dried fruit, or liquor, gelato isn’t overwhelmingly milky or heavy on the dairy. You can even find plenty of dairy-free, water-based, and non-fat gelato.
What to look for:
#1. High Quality Ingredients
- Made with fresh and natural ingredients like milk, cream, sugar, real fruits, nuts, or cocoa. Avoiding artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. Imitation gelato is often contains artificial flavorings, powdered mixes, synthetic stabilizers, and excessive sugars.
#2. Texture & Consistency
- High-quality gelato is smooth, creamy, soft, melting evenly in your mouth. This is due to less air than in ice cream. Imitation gelato is overly fluffy or dense, due to excessive air or the use of emulsifiers and stabilizers.
#3. Temperature
- High-quality gelato is soft and easy to scoop, but doesn’t melt instantly. It’s served at a slightly warmer temperature than ice cream. Imitation gelato is very cold, which masks flavors. Too warm makes it overly soft and watery.
#4. Appearance
- High-quality gelato has natural colors, reflecting the real ingredients used. Strawberry gelato should have a soft pink or reddish hue. Pistachio gelato should be a muted green, not bright green. Imitation gelato is often bright, owing to artificial colors. An overly glossy appearance indicates synthetic
#5. Flavors
- High-quality gelato has bold yet natural flavors. Each bite tastes like the ingredients it represents. There’s no overpowering sweetness or artificial aftertaste. Imitation gelato is overly sweet and artificial flavors, often lacking depth. Your gelato should taste like the actual fruit. If a fruit-flavored gelato tastes like candy instead, it might be imitation.
#6. Storage and Display
- High-quality gelato is typically stored in covered metal containers or under minimal air exposure to preserve freshness. Imitation gelato is often displayed in large mounds with overly dramatic swirls, often piled high above the container edges. This can indicate excessive stabilizers or emulsifiers.
Our Favorite Gelato Spots
We’ve saved the best for last! Here’s the inside scoop on where to find the best gelato in Venice, Florence, and Rome!
Venice
- Bacaro del Gelato – Fondamenta de la Misericordia, 2499
- Gelatoteca Suso – Sotoportego de la Bissa, 5453
- Gelateria Ca’ d’Oro – Strada Nova, 4273/b
- Gelato di Natura – Piazza San Marco, 1164/A
- La Mela Verde – Fondamenta de l’Osmarin, 4977/A
Florence
- Galleria Iginio Massari – Via de’ Vecchietti, 3 – Florence’s version of Paris’ Ladurée & Milan’s Marchesi
- Gelateria Artigianale La Sorbettiera – Piazza Torquato Tasso, 11r
- Sbrino– Via dei Serragli, 32r
- Gelateria della Passera– Via Toscanella, 15/red
- La Gelatiera– Via de’ Ginori, 21R
- Edoardo Il Gelato Biologico– Piazza del Duomo, 45/R
- Gelateria La Carraia – Piazza Nazario Sauro, 25/r
- Vivoli – Via Dell’Isola delle Stinche, 7r – Go for the affogato
- Gelateria Carabe – Via Ricasoli 60/r
Rome
- Gelateria dei Gracchi – Via dei Gracchi 272
- Gelateria del Teatro – Via di San Simone 70
- Fatamorgana – Via dei Chiavari, 37A
- Otaleg – Via di San Cosimato 14 / A
- Gunther – Piazza di Sant’Eustachio 47
- Al Settimo Gelo – Via Vodice, 21
Happy Gelato Hunting Across Italy
As our guide to gelato comes to a close, we hope you’ve learned a few things along the way. And, we send you off, wishing you happy gelato hunting. We hope that you’ve found a few tasty places to have your next scoop.
If you’d like to discover more tips or you’re ready to embark upon the trip of a lifetime, get in touch with our professional travel agents and start booking your dream vacation to Italy.
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