Page 100 - #56 English

Iced

GROWING PAINS

GELATO IN CHINA

Ice cream is something we can never have enough of, Gelato’s price, but as a symbol of the Italian culture and life,
but when you think you know it well, you might have missed Gelato has amazed people around the world with its idea of
one fact that the worldwide popular frozen treat actually healthy lifestyle. The past few years have seen a higher
originated from China. As early as in the Zhou Dynasty popularity of Gelato in China, where you can see mass-
(11th century BC), chunks of ice were preserved below market brands such as Iceason, brands, often seen in fairs,
ground in winter for emperors’ summer use. By the end of such as Gabbri and Carpigiani, or sensational speciality style
the Tang Dynasty (618-907), people stumbled across that online stores. Even though many people are still confused
saltpeter, when mixed in water, would absorb large amount about the difference between traditional ice cream and Ge-
of heat and freeze the water to make a cool and sweet taste. lato, with more Gelato brands entering China and more
Since then ice can be made even in summer. Merchants in competitions organized to expand its popularity, this Italian
the Dynasty of Yuan (1279-1368) even mixed it with fruits specialty is seeing a bright future in China.
and milk, making it the grandaddy of modern ice cream.
However, it was not until the 13th century that this tech-
nique was introduced to Italy by the Italian traveler Marco The following information is based on an interview with Marketing
Polo. Then the famous Florence chef Bertalan perfected the Chief of Fabbri China, a leading Gelato brand.
recipe, and that was the very first Gelato, which through
time was improved constantly till what we have today. Gelato in China
Gelato’s path in China has had an astonishing resem-
Gelato is different from traditional ice cream in the blance with the early stage of coffee introduction to the
following ways: country. People are still in the transitional phase of accepting
1.Gelato is lower in fat (0%-10%) or fat free. Gelato. If a chronic has to be made for Gelato’s development
2.Gelato contains less air in the process of making; in China, it will show four stages as follows:
3.Gelato is lower in sugar (16%-22%) than other types of 1999-2004 newborn: the earliest Gelato stores appeared one
ice cream ; after another in a few Chinese cities. But did not cause much
4.Gelato always contains with fresh fruits, providing various tweets due to limited hardware equipment, material, skilled
vitamins. staff, and marketing.
2005-2009 infancy: the concept of Gelato was widely recog-
Gelato to Italian is what milk tea to Taiwanese; it is nized in the market, but still at the level of “Gelato equals ice
part of their life. Time honored Gelato stores are easy to cream”.
find in Italian streets. Gelato masters can always make unique 2010-2014 childhood: with the joint efforts of Italian raw
flavors from their passion and their love. High quality mate- material manufacturers, equipment suppliers, and investors
rial, artisanal making and short shelf time all increased in various areas, Gelato has attracted obviously higher atten-

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