GELATO

The History of Gelato dates back to the 16^th century. There is some confusion in the origin as to where or who really invented gelato. As most stories go, it is credited to Bernardo Buontalenti, a native of Florence, who delighted the court of Catherina dei Medici with his creation. Italians are certainly credited with introducing gelato to the rest of Europe; with Sicilian born Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli who undoubtedly was one of the most influential individuals in the history of gelato, as one of the first to sell it to the public. Summoned to Paris in 1686, he opened a café named after himself called “Café Procope”, which quickly became one of the most celebrated haunts of the literary establishment in France. In Italy meanwhile, the art of traditional gelato making was passed on from father to son, improved and perfected right up to the 20^th century, when many gelato makers began to emigrate, taking their know-how to the rest of Europe.

            Gelato in Italian literally means "frozen", but it basically used to indicate the Italian type of ice cream. One of the basic differences between Gelato and the ice cream we know of in the United States is that it doesn’t contain as much air, and is therefore more intense in flavor. In part, Gelato is healthier than American-style ice cream since it is made with all natural ingredients and contains fewer calories and less butter fat.