Structure is a key aspect - though not the only one - when we talk about production of artisanal gelato. 

In this article we will look at the characteristics and varieties of gelato that can be added to a restaurant's menu with the aim of winning over a large segment of customers. 

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First of all, it’s good to analyze the combination of flavors: they need to be contrasting but at the same time able to coexist, offering a complex yet interesting sensory experience.  

Therefore it is essential to know how to balance the sweetness and various aromas to arrive at an overall harmony. The aromatic definition of the individual ingredients must be perceptible and the final result balanced.  

All this requires a careful control of ingredients, not only for taste but also for their functional characteristics. 

The nuances of gelato and the consistency factor

The diversity of consistencies is a crucial factor in order to create a unique sensory experience through gelato.  
Silkiness, softness, and creaminess associated with the sensation of freshness and lightness also contribute to the success of Italian artisanal gelato as the component of a dish, unlike industrial ice cream, or Anglo-Saxon-style ice cream, products that are generally more compact, less airy, and perceived as being colder on the palate.  

The characteristics of traditional artisanal gelato offer the chef endless ways to create different dishes, playing with different consistencies and temperatures. 

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Extra ingredients that provide textural contrasts

The addition of crunchy or crumbly ingredients to create contrasts and complexity of textures that enhance the structure of the flavor allows the sensory pleasure to be amplified while eating the gelato. 

The sequence in which the flavors are presented to the palate must also be considered carefully in order to balance them. 

It’s therefore important to alternate sweet or fat flavors (such as cream-flavored gelato) with more acidic options (such as sour cherry), which stimulate salivation and help to cleanse the mouth and prepare it to enjoy the next bite.  

This shows how broad the spectrum is for those working with accurate, quality ingredients. 

Chemistry and physics applied to gelato

Making high-quality gelato for foodservice requires knowledge of certain chemical and physical principles, which we will illustrate.  

In fact, gelato is a foamy food in which various phases and elements coexist in balance with each other: liquids, solids, air, and cold. If even only one of these is missing you won’t have authentic artisanal gelato. 

Another crucial basic principle: Gelato is composed of a mixture of functional and aromatic ingredients that make the it a product with high nutritional content and, above all, an actual food.  

In order to make authentic Italian gelato, machines that can quickly and dynamically freeze the liquid mix are essential. During this process, the mix passes from the liquid state to a foamy consistency, incorporating air and increasing in volume. 

The sugars in gelato

A key ingredient for the production of gelato is sugar, or rather sugars.To learn more about gelato, it’s necessary to learn more about some of the sugars most used in its production.In fact, different sugars not only have different freezing points and affect the structure of the gelato and its serving and storage temperature differently, but also have different levels of sweetness, a particularly relevant issue when it comes to gelato in the restaurant industry.

Sucrose
This is the most common form of sugar, a disaccharide obtained from beet or cane. There is a tendency not to use sucrose alone when making gelato because this sugar tends to recrystallize, giving it a "sandy" texture. 

Dextrose 
This is a monosaccharide, a pure sugar derived industrially from corn starch (but not only). It has a higher anti-freezing power than sucrose, and when used together with the latter in the production of gelato it helps the product not to crystallize, improving its creaminess. It’s useful to remember that the terms "dextrose" and "glucose" are synonyms defining the same sugar. 

Maltodextrins and glucose syrups 
Different sugars characterized by an index called "Dextrose Equivalent" (DE). These products are called "maltodextrins" when the value in DE is less than 20 and "glucose syrups" when the DE is greater than 20. With maltodextrins it’s possible to obtain a less sweet and more "full-bodied" gelato, with a higher freezing point than can be obtained by employing sucrose alone. In contrast, using glucose syrups results in a gelato that, depending on the DE, has a finer, more velvety texture that is more easily scooped and resistant to thermal shock. 
Like dextrose, glucose syrups also have a marked anticrystallizing action. 

Trehalose 
This is a highly soluble disaccharide that has the same anti-freezing power as sucrose, but much lower sweetening power (less than half). It therefore allows the sweetness of the gelato to be lowered without changing its freezing point. When it’s necessary to adapt the perception of the dessert to the needs of the market or to one's own specific menu (e.g., savory gelato), it is indeed essential to know how to use sugars other than sucrose with different sweetening powers. 


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Stabilizers

Now let's take a look at stabilizers. This name is used to indicate those ingredients that facilitate emulsification and thickening of the base mix, thus making the artisanal gelato more stable. 

Stabilizers = Thickeners + Emulsifiers

Going deeper, it needs to be clarified that stabilizers are a combination of two "active ingredients," each with a different function: 

Thickeners act on water molecules, making the liquid thicker. 

Emulsifiers act simultaneously on both water and fat molecules, binding them together. 
Depending on whether they become soluble at room temperature or when heated, these elements are divided into Cold Stabilizers and Hot Stabilizers. 

Another key point: gelato stabilizers are found in the form of emulsifiers with thickeners for milk- and cream-based mixes, and only thickeners for the water-based mixes used in slushes and sorbets.  

Conclusions

The physical and chemical specifications we have mentioned might make the art of gelato applied to the restaurant seem complex, but the process isn’t as daunting as it might seem.  
Certainly there are elements that must not be overlooked, but there are numerous solutions for chefs and restaurateurs, increasingly advanced and automated machines that help operators by reducing production times and simplifying processes. 
It’s highly recommended to take a course with specialists in gelato production applied to foodservice to learn the techniques for producing artisanal gelato.