Surprisingly, the credit for the first idea of ice cream goes to ancient Asian cultures. They thought to combine melting ice from mountaintops with flavors. Over the centuries, the concept moved to Egypt and up to Italy. Interestingly, the party responsible for the grand opening of the wonder we call gelato is also the family credited with a number of other cultural contributions- the Medici family. They commissioned artist Bernardo Buontalenti to create a wonderful meal for Spanish royalty. Being consumed by Spanish and Italian royals seems the only appropriate way for such a novelty to be released into society. Soon gelato became an adoration of all of Europe, and is slowly becoming more popular in the US, though ice cream is a favorite of Americans. Gelato carts began dancing through the streets before they set up shops as we see today.
To clarify the difference between gelato and ice cream, gelato has more sugar, but less butterfat. It tastes lighter though richer. Sorbets are a subcategory of gelatos that are made without milk and are often the fruity flavors. Gelato shops also pride themselves in the art of visuals of gelato. Gelato is whipped and dressed with edible decorations to make it stand out as extra scrumptious.
Having worked at a gelato shop in the US and with the title of an all-around-ice-cream-and-the-like lover, I had to put trying authentic gelato at the top of my list when travelling to Italy for the first time. And it did not disappoint. My favorite flavor is Stracciatella, which is basically a cookies and cream, but with fine chocolate shavings and a very light vanilla. The first bite was inspiring, the second bite was better, and the cone and all were gone by the third bite. The Italians know what they're doing with foods, but in particular gelato. Somehow the substance is thicker and creamier, without making the eater feel bloated or dairy-heavy, as ice cream can do.
I learned from an article on the plane ride of the largest (and only that I know of) gelato festival in the world. The Sherbeth Festival took place in Cefalu, Sicily from September 15-18, the exact dates I was in Milan. So, I missed it. But if my future husband is out there and ever reads this, I have your honeymoon idea right here! The most famous and innovative gelato creators gather and share their delicious discoveries with the public for an all-inclusive fee of 5 euros for the weekend. An award is presented to the most creative and successful gelato presentation. This year, a highly anticipated participant introduced an ice cream with Gorgonzola cheese, while last year's obsession was a wine ice cream. I wonder how long these flavors will take to end up on the shelves in the US ;) In 2010, the winner presented a citron ice cream, the year before- an eloquent chocolate and orange combination, but unfortunately, the winner for this year has not been posted yet.
If you couldn't tell from my obsession with gelato, I had a fabulous time in Milan. Good friends, good food, but it is a pricey city. I felt extremely relieved when I landed in the Madrid airport to be in a place where I could communicate and understand the language, regardless that it was not English! Becoming comfortable with communicating in Spanish is by far my greatest obstacle, but I'm on my way to overcoming it.
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