Gelato shops are everywhere: "Be sure to buy a Gelato treat on your vacation" Palma de Mallorca Restaurant Tip by dlytle

The Gelato Story began a long, long time ago.

Arabs, Greeks, Romans and recently the Spanish have all claimed to be the first to make Gelato or sorbet. But the idea of refrigerating aromatic and sweet food with snow or ice probably came from the Chinese. The Arabs took the idea from China, and with the Sicilian conquest (AD 821) they introduced the “Sharba” (sorbet) which means “iced beverage” to Europe.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, Gelato began to be enjoyed in all European countries, thanks to the Italians. First to introduce it was the architect and chef, Bernardo Buontalenti (1500) who brought some of the new refrigerated dessert to the court of Catherine de Medici in Paris.

Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli opened the famous Cafe Procope in 1686 where he offered a wide variety of “iced water” or “acqua gelata” (actually granita, which in the USA is known as Italian Ice) as well as frutta gelata (iced fruits), crema gelata (iced creams) and sorbetto di fragola (strawberry sorbet). This cafe became the most famous meeting place of the literary elite and artists in Europe. Within a few years, many Italian artisans opened other Gelato shops in the major European cities.

Gelato is made with the finest and freshest ingredients available. The taste of gelato is more concentrated than regular Ice cream due to the machines used in its production. Gelato machines turn more slowly which makes for a much denser texture and more compact flavor.

Though lower in fat, often 6 or 7 percent, each bite of gelato packs a wallop of sensory stimulation that is second to none. American style ice cream, on the other hand, contains a greater percentage of air and ice. Although this creates more volume, there is less flavor. Also, heavy ingredients such as milk, with a butterfat content of 20 to 25 percent, are added. This not only makes for a more fattening end result; it also masks the original flavor.

I do not think that Mallorcan gelato is as good as Italian gelato but it still tastes great on a hot summer day!

Comparison: N/A
Price: less than US$10
Rating: 5
Theme: Ice Cream