We are often asked why a Dorset company that is so passionate about its local ingredients makes gelato rather than ice cream. Isn’t gelato just the Italian word for ice cream anyway?
Our short answer is that we don’t want to be pretentious and so we use the two interchangeably. But our more serious answer is that we consciously chose to make gelato as we think it is a better recipe than ice cream.
Italian gelato is a surprisingly different frozen treat compared to American ice cream in terms of fat content, churning process, flavour intensity, serving temperature, and texture.
Fat Content
Let’s start with fat content. Gelato uses less cream and more milk than ice cream. Typically, the fat content of gelato is 8-11% while the fat content of ice cream is closer to 15-25%.
Having so much fat requires a higher amount of sugar to achieve the scoopability of ice cream, the end result is that ice cream is both heavier and sweeter due to the higher fat content.
The higher amounts of cream and sugar in ice cream masks the underlying flavours of any lovely fruit, nut, or other ingredient.
Churning Speed
Worrying about churning speed may sound very arcane, but it is important. Industrial ice cream is churned at a higher speed that pumps in loads of air (known as the ‘over-run’ in the ice cream trade), giving ice cream a fluffier, lighter consistency.
This affects the density of the product and the texture. Industrial ice cream may have an over-run of 80-100%, while at Baboo Gelato we only run at 20%. This means our gelato, churned at a slower speed and containing less air, has a more intense flavour..
Air just tastes of air, so the flavours in ice cream are less concentrated than in gelato. If you go to the ice cream aisle in a supermarket, close your eyes and lift up the 500ml tubs (pint pots to our American friends), you’ll find that there is a vast variance in weight, and many of those marketed as low-cal are simply selling you air.
Temperature
Gelato is served at a warmer temperature of about -12ºC, rather than ice cream at -18ºC. This difference allows more flavour to come through because your taste buds are less sensitive at lower temperatures.
By the way, since home freezers typically run at -18-20ºC, we recommend you move your tubs of Baboo Gelato to the fridge for ten minutes before serving to get to the perfect temperature.
Consistency and Texture
The lower fat content, greater density, and warmer serving temperature all contribute to the uniquely silky texture, smoothness, and intense flavours that you get from good gelato.
In gelaterias across Italy, these frozen desserts are crafted with care, and the use of purees rather than stabilisers ensures a pure, rich taste. Unlike frozen custard or other frozen dairy desserts, gelato’s key differences lie in its ingredients and preparation methods.
Whether you prefer pistachio, hazelnut, or stracciatella, authentic gelato recipes offer a delightful variety of sweet treats to savour. Reading about gelato and its nuances, you can appreciate why we chose this path.
Is it little wonder that demand for gelato is growing faster than demand for ice cream as consumers become more health conscious and more discerning?
Popular gelato flavours
Strawberry Gelato
During late June we buy hundreds of kilos of ripe strawberries, grown in the fresh Somerset air at Forde Abbey. We purée these, and add them to our milk base for a delicious, intense strawberry flavour.
Pistachio Gelato
Our discovery of our pistachio provider was the result of copious amounts of tasting. Pistachios come from a climatic belt running across California to Kazakhstan. We narrowed our tasting down to Italy, then to Sicily, and finally to the DOP area of Bronte in Sicily.
We had found a larger supplier in Bronte, when at the end of a long day of tasting, we came across a small farm offering pure pistachio paste. We were astonished by the rich, deep flavour, and fell in love immediately.
Piedmont Hazelnut Gelato
Made with organic milk and 100% pure hazelnut paste that we buy direct from Saverio Rapalino’s farm near Genoa, Italy. The farm is in the Piedmont region, which has a DOP for hazelnuts.
We have tasted at least twenty different hazelnut pastes, and we chose this one because of the depth of flavour, and the way it lingers in the mouth.
Madagascan Vanilla Gelato
We're delighted to have won a Gold Award from Taste of the West in 2019 for our vanilla gelato.
The Madagascans are the unquestionable world experts in the tricky task of maturing vanilla. The extra time and sophistication of their curing process means we get a richer, more intense vanilla flavour.
Shop Madagascan Vanilla Gelato
Double Chocolate Gelato
We use Valrhona chocolate from France, and cocoa powder from Belgium. These are very high quality (and expensive).
Valrhona is a premium, artisanal French chocolate maker, who has been producing since 1922 in the same village in the Rhone valley. This is THE chocolate that leading pastry chefs use.
Sicilian Blood Orange Sorbet
Ok, not strictly speaking gelato but definitely a Baboo favourite… We use deep red blood oranges from an organic family farm in Sicily. The flavour is a unique blend of sweet and tart, with distinct berry-like undertones and rich, almost floral notes.
Shop Sicilian Blood Orange Sorbet
We hope this article has helped you to understand the difference between Gelato vs ice cream and maybe even inspired you to give gelato a try!
Next we’d love to hear from you. Did we miss anything? What are your favourite gelato flavours?
Let us know and we might include it in this post!
About Baboo Gelato
Baboo Gelato was established in Bridport Dorset in 2015 with the aim to make great ice cream using local, seasonal ingredients.
We now have six kiosks/cafes and over four hundred trade customers from Cornwall to London. We are also available for nationwide home delivery.
For more information: Sam Hanbury, sam@baboogelato.com 07808 180818