Gelato’s not just a summer pleasure anymore. According to a recent study promoted by the Confartigianato of Florence with the help of local ice-cream shops, 40 percent of indulging Florentines consider gelato appropriate to all seasons, and will often eat it as a substitute for their midday meal. 60 percent enjoy ice-cream in the early afternoon or at dinner. Of course, high demand means high supply, making Tuscany the seventh largest ice-cream producing region in Italy. By the end of 2004, traditional ice-cream producers reached a high of 116 (a 27.4 percent increase from December 2003 and 34.8 percent more compared to the end of 2002).
Favourite Florentine flavours include fiordilatte, crema, cioccolato and nocciola. Gelato connoisseurs suggest that such consistent “cream-based” preferences translate into a return to the simplicity of the ancient gelato tradition, which reflects the culinary genius of the Medici chef Ruggeri. Considered the first ice-cream maker of the modern age, he introduced the creamy concoction into the French Court after the marriage of Caterina dei Medici to Enrico d’Orleans.
Happily, in Florence his craft is still one of quality. Milk, eggs, sugar, and fruit go into the mix. Preservatives, OGM, artificial additives, and compressed air stay out of it. This recipe makes for true hand-crafted gelato. Ice-cream producers throughout Italy are currently urging the European Union to recognise the patent of “Guaranteed Traditional Speciality,” based on the criteria presented by the Minister of Agricultural Policy. How to know where to get your quality cone? Simple. First look at colour. Discard anything too bright as artificial. Shiny ice-cream is also a no go; lustre indicates the use of vegetable fat and is a sign of low quality. Rule number three only applies to those with fruity cravings: be sure to choose flavours of fruits that are in season. Your taste buds will thank you.
