What Is Gelato?

Gelato is Italy’s version of ice cream, with three major differences:

First, traditional ice cream typically has 18-26% butterfat, while gelato has less than 10%; but less butterfat does not mean less taste. With a lower butterfat content, gelato is less solidly frozen than ice cream, and melts in your mouth faster; therefore you will better taste gelato’s richer, fuller flavor.

Second, gelato has a higher density than ice cream. Ice cream is produced by mixing cream, milk and sugar, then adding air. Most ice cream manufacturers add air to ice cream because it nearly doubles the quantity of their product, but it cuts down on the quality. No air is added to gelato; the result is a higher quality product with a richer, creamier taste.

Third, gelato is served slightly warmer than ice cream. While gelato and ice cream are served well below the freezing temperature of 32 degrees, gelato is served 10 to 15 degrees warmer than ice cream, further enhancing the flavor.