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A Sweet Taste of Gelato History

To appreciate the full history behind gelato, it is important to first understand what gelato exactly is. Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream, however Italian ice cream is not the same as its American counterpart.

Italian gelato is made using milk with a lesser fat content than regular ice cream. Typically regular ice cream uses 14% butterfat derived from heavy cream, however, gelato is made with whole milk producing a butterfat content of 4-8%. In some cases, gelato can be made with 2% milk which makes it a nicer choice for those looking to reduce their fat intake or wanting to make the dessert at home.

Attempting to determine the when, what, where's and how's of gelato history, one needs to start with what existed before gelato. Naturally, various ancient legends and stories exist about who truly owns the bragging rights to ice cream and figuring out which one is correct isn't exactly an exact science.

Going Back to Hit the Recipe Books

When trying to trace the origins of ice cream, look no further than historical cookbooks. The earliest recipe for ice cream was published in the mid 17th century Recueil de Curiositez Rares et Nouvelles de Plus Admirables Effets de la Nature, by Frenchman Nicholas Lemery in France.

Only 2 decades later, an Italian named Antonio Latini published Lo Scalco alla Moderna, while at the same time, another French publication by Francois Massialot gave recipes for flavored ice cream.

It is easy to conclude that if these were the first documented recipes, the concept of ice cream must have existed for some time before printing presses came into modern society. How far back is hard to tell although some legends trace it back as early as 400 BC by the Persians, while others state the Chinese were the first in 200 BC, and yet others claim the Italian Emperor Nero was the first to invent mixing ice with various flavors.

No matter which is legend is correct, the concept of flavored ice soon grew into mixing some dairy in as well and soon made its way around the world as a rare delicacy. Since modern refrigeration was not popular until the early 20th century, there was limited supply of the dessert and only the wealthy were privy to the tastings.

The Story of the Birth of Italian Gelato

The first documentation on Italian record of an ice cream machine dates back to 1686 by Sicilian fisherman Procopio Coltelli (1651 - 1727) who grew up in Sicily, and as a little boy would mix fruit juices and honey with snow to make sorbet which is similar to gelato, however uses water rather than dairy. It is known that his grandfather worked on ice cream machines in his spare time - however it was Procopio who after receiving the invention left by his grandfather, was able to eventually find the right combination of ingredients to produce gelato. It is known (and documented) Procopio spend part of his life actively promoting the food product thus adding more validity to this story.

Procopio later went on to become a cook in France where he married a second and third time and began his own cafe named, Le Procope - the French variant of his name. Here was his chance to truly make gelato famous. This theory holds the most plausibility since the first French documentation of a gelato recipe was in 1674 as noted above.

However, the Italians always have a story to tell and in this case there is another story to be told. Some claim it was actually a chicken farmer during the 16th century named Ruggeri who took part in a contest by the Medici family to find the best frozen dessert recipe. Ruggeri won the competition by inventing and presenting sorbet. Although this wasn't gelato technically, it did give way to further legend that the Medici family then commissioned artist Bernardo Bountalentio with the task of preparing a grand feast for the King of Spain. Bountalentio modified the existing sorbet recipe by using dairy in order to produce a creamier dessert and hence the birth of another gelato legend.

Fast Food Dessert on Wheels

It wasn't until the early 20th century that the Italian love affair with gelato really sparked a new revolution thanks to the invention of mobile gelato carts, or what we would call today ice cream trucks. This helped promote the growing popularity and soon Gelaterias (gelato stores) were soon making their way into every neighborhood.

Bringing Ice Cream Home

With the growth of industrialization and the increase of inventions during the late 19th century into the 20th century, the home freezer soon became a common household necessity making it possible for gelato and/or ice cream to be shared and enjoyed within the home and not just at Gelaterias or Soda Shops.

In 1902, a manufacture named Delonghi, known for their line of heaters and air conditioners decided to try their hand at making kitchen appliances. Delonghi, founded by the Delonghi family, incorporated in 1950 and continued to grow as they expanded their products to include everything from small household appliances to espresso makers and even more recently... their very own Italian Delonghi ice cream maker called the GM6000.

Although Delonghi was not the first ones to create the concept of gelato maker, the early pioneers of ice cream history - whether French, Italian, Chinese or Arab, would be delighted with how far the art of making the dessert has truly come over all these years.

About the Author:

Liz Krause enjoys writing about Italian food and offering easy Italian recipes on her cooking website. She also writes reviews on various kitchen appliances used in Italian cooking, or in this case Italian Desserts. She first experienced real Italian gelato in Italy right in the streets of Rome with her Uncle and remembers it to this day. She hopes to return to Italy someday - even if just for the gelato!