Artisanal gelato constitutes a delicious, quality element that can be used to complement a gourmet menu in an upscale restaurant.  
Traditional Italian artisanal gelato is a key element for creating tasty, engaging courses.  

In this article we’ll look at a number of aspects to take into consideration in order to develop a high-quality menu of a restaurant that wants to win over its customers. 

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Haute cuisine menus and gelato: how to find a balance



So how can artisanal gelato be added to haute cuisine menus? There are a number of solutions, taking into account various factors, the most important being the chefs' desire to experiment (and sometimes take a chance).

It is conceptually limiting to relegate gelato to the sole realm of the dessert menu, but it’s necessary to choose the direction to follow, specifically:

• Be consistent with typical restaurant flavors.
• Remain within traditional flavors, combined in an original and well thought out way.

Gourmet gelato aligned with typical restaurant flavors

Approaching gourmet gelato of this kind requires taking into consideration ingredients and flavors that are less common than traditional gelato (the kind you eat in gelato shops, to be clear), arriving at a product that is properly defined as savory gelato.  

Savory gelato refers to a gelato where the perception of sweetness is effectively lowered, and since it’s not possible to add much salt because of its high anti-freezing power, it’s the flavoring ingredient that gives savoriness to the point of perceiving saltiness.  

This makes for an original course, such as an appetizer, in which gelato takes center stage along with other quality ingredients. Case in point: parmesan gelato accompanied by artisanal breadsticks, caramelized figs, and cured prosciutto, a dish in which elements are combined to create a harmonious contrast: cold/room temperature, soft/crunchy, sweet/savory. 

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Savory gelato is not a salty gelato

Excellent savory gelato can be made with either a milk base or a water base, commonly called sorbet.
The important thing is to have machines that can make these preparations quickly, easily, even in limited quantities, and with very little margin for error. 

"Gourmet" gelato as an expression of traditional flavors combined in a well thought out way

Today "gourmet" gelato refers to a product with the typical characteristics of traditional quality gelato (freshness, creaminess, softness) created with the idea of offering the consumer a more articulate sensory experience normally associated with fine dining. 

This entails studying the taste perimeter of artisanal gelato, placing great emphasis on the combination of flavors.   
This research aims to transform the experience of eating gelato from a simple tasting experience to a journey where all taste receptors are stimulated through precise logic and sequences. 

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Considerations on the use of gelato in foodservice to develop a high-quality menu

Beyond the specifics analyzed above, in a particular setting such as the restaurant industry, gelato must constitute a synthesis of tradition and refinement: both of these aspects deserve to be treated with absolute attention.  

Respecting the patterns of taste, which are based on balance, thus becomes a necessity that cannot be discounted.