Ice Cream vs. Gelato

Gelateria alla Romana: Roma

It's extremely hot out right now. It's summer and it's time for ice cream... Or, in my case it's time for gelato.  I
have instant access to gelato while living in Rome, but I certainly won't find ice cream.  Gelato is iconic of Italy, like espresso and sunflowers.
Alright, gelato vs ice cream.  Gelato is technically ice cream right? Well, yes, gelato is the Italian word for ice cream but they are definitely not identical. There is a reason that gelato in Italy seems richer and denser than American ice cream.  There is a reason that the flavors are so memorable.
There are three main differences: fat content, air content and serving temperature.  These three little factors make all the difference in the world.

Gelateria del Teatro: Roma

In the United States, ice cream legally must have a minimum of 10% fat whereas gelato has only 5 to 7% fat ice cream uses a heavy base of cream and eggs while gelato utilizes more whole milk than cream and doesn't always rely on the use of eggs.  Since there's not as much fat in gelato, it doesn't have the same quantity of fat to coat the tongue the way ice cream does. As a result the flavors can come through more intensely.  A good ice cream can have deep, intense flavors as well, but the flavors do come across differently. This also means that gelato is actually healthier than American ice cream. At least, a little bit... which basically means that in my remaining weeks in Italy I'm going to be having double the gelato.  YUM.
American ice creams are churned fast and hard to whip extra air into the mixture. Premium brands can be 25% air which increases the volume of ice cream by 25%. Hmmm.  More air, more ice cream. American ice cream brands add in more air to increase the quantity of their products. Cheaper versions can have 50 to 90% air, which makes them light, thin and ensures that they melt quickly. It also explains why ice cream isn't always very flavorful. Bites of ice cream can be a half air! Gelato is churned at a slower speed than ice cream so it's denser because less air is introduced to the base. Many traditional gelatos are still whipped by hand or are whipped at a very low speed in a stand mixer.  That's why it seems more dense and flavorful. It is.

Gelati & Mozzarella: Roma

Lastly, the big factor, temperature. Temperature explains why gelato has that soft almost elastic texture. Ice

Gelateria dei Neri: Firenze

cream is best served around 10°F whereas gelato is served at a warmer temperature.  If gelato were frozen at the same temperature as ice cream, it would become quite dense. When served warmer it maintains its soft consistency and doesn't turn into soup. Therefore it retains its semi solid state until it melts in your mouth.  If ice cream were to be stored at the same temperature as gelato, it would actually become soup.  The high fat content would make the ice cream melt much too quickly.
At the end of the day, the differences between gelato and ice cream aren't that major especially when one takes into consideration individual variations on recipes.  It's all delicious and wonderful in the heat, just like soft serve and frozen yogurt.  So don't worry too much about the definitions, sit down and dig in. Because ice cream and gelato have at least one thing in common: they are irresistible.  One scoop is certainly not enough!

I'll definitely be writing another blog about gelato soon!  I'm going to give you some hints and tricks on how to find the best gelato and avoid the tourist traps!