In Italy, Bad Gelato Could Become Punishable (and That Means More Fantastic Gelato!)
If you’ve ever been to Italy, chances are you’ve stood drooling in a gelateria, wondering what a justifiable maximum number of scoops would be, only to find yourself wanting to collapse onto the ground with happiness while holding (and eating) that gelato. That ice cream is UNPARALLELEDLY good. And the Italians themselves think so too, which is why they want to impose extremely strict requirements on it.
And it may not stop at requirements, no: if a number of politicians have their way, making inferior ice cream could even become punishable. Sky-high fines for ice cream makers who try to get away with doing a slapdash job, if this law is passed…
Not baked, but frozen air
Because if, when you see a tub of ice cream in an ice cream maker’s chilled display case, you think ‘the higher, the better’—that’s not actually true. Artisanal ice cream consists of (only) twenty to thirty percent air, which is a result of whipping the ingredients very vigorously. And what do industrial ice cream makers with less love for the craft and the product do? They inject air from a compressor into it, meaning the ice cream can consist of up to eighty percent air—and you therefore largely pay for air too. If the people behind the new ice cream laws have their way, thirty percent air will be the absolute maximum.
No nonsense in your ice cream
And what else should be laid down in the legislation? That the only permitted ingredients would be milk (and its derivatives), eggs, and fruit (or cocoa mass or nuts), and that anyone caught using artificial flavors, synthetic colorings, or trans fats could face a fine of up to €10,000. Mamma mia!
That should result in some very delicious ice cream, we think—in other words: only delicious ice cream. An entire country full of delicious ice cream, with not a disappointing scoop in sight. We know what we’ll do: as soon as we can, we’ll pack our bags!
Read also:
- This is the difference between ice cream and gelato
- How a very special ice cream saved a farm
- Think of this badass woman next time you eat an ice cream
Source: Food and Wine
