Nothing like a gelato to cool one down on a hot day! The traditional Italian dessert has made its way into Asia in recent years and the many gelato shops we see today signals the continuous opportunity for its growth. How then do you stand out in the crowd? You have the ambiance, the quirky and experimental flavours but at the heart of it is really knowing your product. We invited gelato machine manufacturer IceTeam1927 to take us through a few basic points of making good gelato.
1. Gelato VS Soft-Serve
Well, we are basically comparing apples to oranges. Many think they are the same but gelato contains more sugars and less fat. When making both items, there is an element known as “overrun” which means increase in volume when air is incorporated. The “overrun” in gelato is lower at 30-40% compared to soft serve which can extend from 40-80%. Gelato is also colder than soft serve and contains more sugars and less fat; hence its highly dense texture.
2. Asians might have gelato differently than Italians
Many operators have found that Asians prefer their gelato less sweet. According to Giulia Rossi of IceTeam1927, regular Italian gelato has a POD (sweetness point) of 23* while gelato in Asia has a POD from 10 to 13 * (* POD values relative to sucrose – POD 100 )
3. Know your equipment
Milk-based Gelato requires pasteurising of the mix and freezing it therefore a pasteurizer + batch freezer is recommended. If you are making water-based sorbets, all the ingredients only need to be mixed before freezing and a pasteurizer may not be necessary.
4. Selecting the equipment
After deciding which product you want to make, think about the quantities you want to process every day. A sturdy machine means better time efficiency in high volumes which better preserves flavours and nutritional properties of the natural ingredients. Choose a machine that is ergonomically designed and is easy to clean.
Our thanks to Ice Team 1927, Ms Giulia Rossi for her time and help for the article.
www.iceteam1927.it
