Today we will be visiting the Gelato Museum Carpigiani, which is quite fitting for me to have been assigned this location considering I am on a 12 day gelato streak. The Museum is 1000 square meters surrounding an internal qarden patio dedicated to educating the public on the history and preparation of gelato. It was inaugurated in September of 2012 and is located in the Carpigiani Headquarters at Anzolo dell’Emilia. The innovative structure was transformed from an industrial space and features an interactive tour for guests from all over the world.
As we tour the museum, we will be experiencing three main themes analyzing the artisan gelato’s history. These themes are: the evolution of gelato over time, the history of production technology, and the places and ways in which gelato is consumed. In the museum, we will have the opportunity to see 20 original machines, multimedia presentations, over 10,000 historical images and documents, original video interviews, and precious tools.
We will also be able to see gelato being made in their modern gelato shop. Production is visible through glass walls so visitors can see the entire process continuously and without hiding anything. This is actually very cool, because when I visited Amorino (for the second time) in Verona, the employee on duty told us that Grom – which is another gelato shop in the area - makes their gelato with lots of chemicals. Also, if you have been paying attention to the different types of gelato textures, some are very “fluffy” and others are flat.
Paolo enlightened us that fluffy gelato is not as good, because it is not as natural as the flat types. I did some research to see what exactly is in the fluffy gelato, and experts say that gelato piled up high is “rich in vegetable fats and emulsifiers.” The experts also recommend to avoid gelato shops that use scoopers instead of a flat paddle. The flat paddle allows the gelato to be gently scooped and to soften it.
The history of gelato is an extensive one. The origin of gelato dates back to 12,000 BC, according to Carpigiani’s website. At royal ceremonies and religions banquets in Mesopotamia, runners would travel one hundred kilometers to acquire the snow necessary to cool the drinks. This snow was developed into a sugar scrub by the Arabs, who also used over 400 types of flowers to flavor their sorbets. In the many years since the birth of gelato, many figures and developments in technology have helped develop the treat into what we know it to be today.
Gelato, as we have seen through our study tour in Italy, is a stable in the Italian diet and not just a tourist trap. Yesterday at the gelato shop we visited, Paolo told a group of us that he has one gelato every day. This was surprising considering that we have all observed Italians to be quite in shape and healthy. I did some research to see how much gelato Italians really consume, and the average per capita is 4 kilograms of gelato every year. Italians typically eat gelato in the summer, so this number is quite astonishing.
Nevertheless, this reinforces the US Dietary Guidelines that emphasize variety and moderation in the diet. A healthy diet can easily include treats like gelato if consumed amongst other healthy options. At our classroom session in Verona, Dr. Cooper helped us understand the properties of gelato in comparison to ice cream. Gelato has less calories per serving, less fat, and a higher milk ratio to cream than ice cream. Because of this, gelato melts faster than ice cream. This was definitely reassuring to me, considering my streak.
As an aspiring gelato connoisseur, I wanted to find some fun facts about gelato to share with you all. The Italian word congelato means “frozen”. The first gelato café was opened in Paris by a Sicilian fisherman. Buying gelato “affogato” means that it will be doused in espresso, and if you order “gelato con panna”, your treat will come with whipped cream on top. There is a Gelato World Cup held every other year. Between 2009 to 2014, Italian gelato sales increased from $11 million to $214 million.
I am confident that I will miss gelato when I head back to the US. However, there is no need to fret if you will also miss the decadent treat that we have all grown to adore. I found places where they sell gelato in Athens. Condor Chocolates has great reviews on Google, and you can buy Talenti gelato at Kroger and Publix. Haagen-Dazs has come out with a variety of gelato flavors as well. If you are ever in Atlanta, there is an Amorino shop in Lenox.
Sources: