What is Gelato? Gelato, unlike North American ice

What is Gelato?

Gelato, unlike North American ice cream, is not frozen as deeply. It contains less air and fat content resulting in a purer taste with a velvety texture that is simply breathtaking!

Health and Nutrition

Capanna Gelato is hand-crafted daily with all-natural ingredients to ensure that we do not compromise the quality of your experience. We cook our gelato before freezing it, which is the only way to accurately create the texture of authentic Italian gelato. With 60-70% less butterfat than traditional ice cream and no trans-fats, you can enjoy this mouth-watering delicacy with additional delight!

History of Gelato

For centuries, chilled desserts have captivated those who taste them. Some attribute a four thousand year old recipe to the Chinese, who cooked rice with milk and buried it in the snow. Similar methods were used with fruit, wine and honey. It is said that during the Roman Empire, Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar sent his slaves to the mountains to bring back ice and snow so that he could freeze his favorite fruit beverage. Marco Polo, upon returning from the Far East, introduced to the Europeans a recipe for water ices that resembles modern day sorbet. Catherine de'Medici of Florence, took her favorite chefs and sorbetto recipes with her in 1533 when she married the Duc d'Orleans of France.Gelato was made popular in a region of northern Italy and in the south by the Sicilians. In the north it was made with milk, eggs, sugar and natural flavors and stored in the cantina (basement) until summertime when it was sold to the tourists. It became known as a rich-man's dessert that many people could not afford. Furthermore, reduced tourism in the northern mountains encouraged the artisans to take their delicious gelato to Austria, Germany, Switzerland and France to be sold in the communities of the rich. As a result, the Italians dominated the production of milk-based gelato in northern Italy and the surrounding countries. In the south, sorbetto, now known as sorbet, was being made by the Sicilians. Sorbetto is a form of gelato that contains no milk, is water-based and is made with less fat and more sugar. It was kept in a similar manner; some stored their sorbetto in compacted snow up to 90 feet underground!

All over the world, gelato continues to intrigue those who taste it!

We hope that as you observe the vivid colors and savor the exceptional taste of Capanna Gelato you will appreciate the enthusiasm we have for this enticing dessert.

SO, now you know....

• The name gelato comes from the Italian word gelare , meaning "to freeze".


• There are 20,000 gelaterias in Italy.


• Bambino (our smallest serving size) means "child" in Italian.


• Gelato is served 10-15 degrees warmer than ice cream. Because it is less solidly frozen, the taste is further enhanced as it melts in the mouth.

What are your Delicious Falvors?

We have prepared a list of flavors that are available, so click here to get a printer friendly list.