The Italians are famous for the delicious ice cream they make, among other things. When the sun starts to shine again, the ice cream parlors are doing good business again. Good ice cream parlors or gelateria can be found not only in Italy. Italian ice cream is also popular in the Netherlands and other countries around the world. The history of the ice goes back to before our era, according to some sources. From the mid-nineteenth century, the Italians ensured that ice cream became known worldwide.
History of the Italian ice cream
The production and consumption of ice cream certainly takes us back to the time of ancient Rome. However, evidence suggests that the ancient Greeks, Arabs, and even the Chinese already knew the ice. The ice from that time is of course different from that of today. Alexander the Great (356 – 323 BC) is said to have sent his slaves into the mountains to get ice. He is said to have eaten a substance composed of fruits, herbs, honey and snow.
Bernardo Buontalence, the first ice cream maker
A Florentine cook, Bernardo Buontalenti (1531 – 1608), who worked at the court of Catherine de ‘Medici, is said to have been the first to make ice cream in the way we know it today. The name of this inventor of the Italian ice cream has since become a registered trademark for a specific ice cream recipe. Catherine de ‘Medici (1519 – 1589) is said to have caused the ice cream from Italy to be introduced to France when she married the French King Henry II in 1533. The Sicilian Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli (1651 – 1727) made the ice cream famous in Paris in the mid-seventeenth century. He opened the first ice cream parlor there in 1686, café Procope. That was a great success. Café Procope still exists.
Export from Italy
In the nineteenth century the Italians started exporting their ice cream to England and America. The refrigerator had arrived. It became easier to keep ice cool. As a result, ice cream became cheaper and also affordable for the common man. This was the beginning of the ice cream industry. The invention of the ice cream machine (1843) was also responsible for this. This was the beginning of the famous Italian ice cream cart that has almost disappeared from the Dutch streets. The Italian ice cream makers passed on their profession from father to son. In the 20th century, many Italians emigrated because they could not build a life in Italy for their mostly large families. They left for other parts of Europe. Most ice cream makers came from Belluno.
Belluno, cradle of the Italian ice cream
The composition
The main ingredients of Italian ice cream are water, sugar or sweeteners, fruits and / or nuts and / or essential oils. There are countless variants. Italian ice cream does not contain milk, cream, eggs and binders. The constituent parts are mixed in an ice cream machine to give the ice a firm but soft texture.
Well-known ice cream parlors
Giolitti, Rome
One of the most famous ice cream parlors is Giolitti in Rome. It is the oldest ice cream parlor in Rome. Giolitti is located in via Uffici del Vicario, near the Pantheon. Meanwhile, a second business of the same family is located in the EUR district. These Italian ice cream parlors are often very busy, especially on summer evenings, but it is worth it. If you are not a big eater, it is wise to order the bellhop (little one). It is still good for a full stomach and the necessary calories. The number of flavors to choose from is nothing short of overwhelming.
Antica Gelateria Fiorentina, Florence
In Florence, Antica Gelateria Fiorentina is a must. Here the so-called Buontalenti ice cream is for sale, which owes its name to the above-mentioned ‘inventor’ of the Italian ice. It is one of the cheapest ice cream parlors in Florence. New flavors are presented regularly. If you are curious about how the ice is made here, you can even take a look at the ice kitchen.
Venezia, Amsterdam
In Amsterdam we find Venezia on the Scheldestraat in the Rivierenbuurt near the RAI. This ice cream parlor is only open a few months of the year. It is possible to sit inside or on the terrace, but you can also bring a cone in your hand. Again, the number of flavors is breathtaking. The ice cream parlor itself still breathes the old-fashioned atmosphere of yesteryear. In the meantime, Venezia has gotten competition from the nearby Pisa, which is also very popular with Amsterdammers.
Roberto, Utrecht
In the Poortstraat in Utrecht we find ice cream parlor Roberto. Roberto gets his ingredients from everywhere. Lemons from Sicily and mangoes from India. Roberto experiments with flavors. For example, you can buy beer ice cream from him. The favorite flavor of his customers is Cappricio: ice cream with homemade caramel sauce and peanuts.
Buon appetito