The Italian ice cream is obtained according to three well-distinguished production streams: industrial, semi-artisanal, and artisanal ice cream. artisanal. An average Italian can recognize its nature just by tasting, thanks to a passion that for domestic consumption alone is worth about 2 billion euros.
In Italy, artisanal ice cream is defined as a preparation strictly adhering to tradition. The choice of ingredients favors fresh products, enhancing local and nearby harvests. The same basic components – milk, eggs, and fruit – combined with semi-finished products allow making good ice creams, defined as semi-artisanal. The range is completed by industrial productions, advantaged in logistics but of inferior quality from an organoleptic and nutritional point of view.
Traditional processing in artisan laboratories is characterized by 'mantecatura,' a technique that allows freezing and mixing the preparation by incorporating up to 40% air. This percentage increases significantly in the industry where, through aeration, the volume of the mixture increases up to 150%, with a drastic reduction in the nutritional value of the tasty food.
