Gelato Near Me
Though commonly confused with traditiona ice cream, Gelato is a special treat that is unique as the country that first brought it to light. This creamy ice cream like confection offers a soft, smooth texture and a clean taste. It is based in more organic ingredients and tends to come in unique flavors that are rich and cleansing to the palette.
Are you interested in finding gelato near you? Simply browse gelato near me on the map below and find a list of Gelato shops located within a close proximity to your current location! Looking for some cool facts and information on this sweet treat? Read on for interesting facts, trivia, and more on gelato!
Gelato Near Me – Find it on the Map
Gelato Near Me – Gelato Trivia
How did gelato earn its name?
If you’re searching gelato near me, you may be wondering what exactly is up with the name “gelato.” After all, isn’t gelato just Italian ice cream? Well, in many ways yes, but ice cream and gelato share some major differences, including the origins of their names. The name gelato is derived from the italian word “congelato” which literally means frozen. The word “congelare” means to freeze.” So though gelato is essentially the Italian version of ice cream, it’s not merely ice cream with a European artisanal flair. It’s more complicated than that. Like ice cream, gelato contains milk, sugar, and flavorings such as nuts, fruits, or candy. The major difference is that gelato has less cream than ice cream and usually does not contain any egg yolks whatsoever. This is why gelato typically has a far creamier and more consistent texture than ice cream. Gelato is also churned at a much slower speed than ice cream, this introduces less air into the base, so you get more pleasure per mouthful with gelato!
Gelato can be a great alternative to ice cream, especially if you’re looking to cut a few calories.
True or false: Early gelato more closely resembled sorbet than ice cream.
Though the exact origins of gelato aren’t known, ancient people in both China and Egypt were known to add fruit and salt to snow in order to make a very primitive cold dessert. According to historians, those who lived in Ancient Rome reportedly did the same thing, often using any fresh ingredients that were available and adding them to something cold to make a refreshing dessert. This exact type of dessert is just one of the myriad of culinary inventions that a woman by the name of Catherine de’ Medici is credited with brining from Florence, Italy, to Paris, France upon marrying the future King of France in 1533. Catherine was attempting to make an early form of what we now know as gelato, but due to the lack of milk (Italians were forced to use water instead), it meant that her result almost always more closely resembled sorbet than the gelato we know and love today. As time went on and milk became more plentiful, lovers of this chilled dessert began to experiment and expand the scope of what gelato could be. As you search gelato near me, consider how these early takes on gelato helped to create the dessert we all know and love in the modern day!
Gelato Near Me – Gelato Facts
The First Gelato Cafe in Paris
When you think of fresh gelato, what comes to mind? A small cafe? Quaint yet charming surroundings? All of these are pretty typically of a gelato cafe. But how about a fisherman? Before you roll your eyes in disdain, read on for some true facts on the first gelato cafe as you search gelato near me. Believe it or not, the first ever gelato cafe in Paris, France was opened by Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli in 1686. Coltelli was a fisherman by day and a chef by night. He made the first ever gelato machine, which helped streamline the process of creating and serving up this delicious confection. He opened a small cafe in Paris known as the Cafe Procope, which sold only gelato and coffee to Parisians and literary thinkers. Some famous folks who frequented this gelato cafe were writers such as Voltaire and Rousseau. Amazingly enough, one can still visit this cafe in Paris today, though the restaurant now serves up dishes such as beef tartare, snails, and duck foie gras rather than simple gelato and coffee.
Less Fat but More Flavor
Say that to yourself again and again, less fat but more flavor. It’s not often that dessert can boast less fat but more flavor than its full fat counterparts. However, gelato miraculously contains less fat than regular ice cream but is abundantly more rich in taste and flavor. In what some consider witchcraft, gelato allows dessert patrons to truly have it all. As you search gelato near me, consider why gelato is a bit better for the waistline than traditional ice cream. According to expert gelato makers, gelato is infinitely softer, smoother, and denser than ice cream because less air is churned into the product and it also contains less butterfat. Butterfat actually coats your taste palette, which means if you have less of it in your gelato, you can actually taste the flavors more quickly. Gelato also uses more milk than it does cream, which means the fat content is far lower than traditional slow churned ice creams. With gelato it seems as if you really can have it all.
