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I Story / Bianka Cramblit

Liquid Nitrogen Gelato:

Updating a Classic

I ce cream has been a beloved summer
staple for decades. The favorite ingre-
dients, flavor combinations, and top-
ping trends have come and gone over
time. Disappointingly, the process to create it has
remained largely the same. With the arrival of
liquid nitrogen-infused ice cream, this is finally
beginning to change.
We spoke with Min Chai, founder of N2
Extreme Gelato in Sydney, Australia to answer
some of our questions about this new dessert
process. Starting in 2012, Chai was one of the
pioneers in serving accessible nitrogen desserts.
Before then, this was an ingredient only widely
used in fine dining restaurants.
Now nitrogen-infused ice cream parlors are
popping up in major cities across the globe. The
trend looks like it is here to stay.

Photo / N2 Extreme Gelato
What is It?
“Nitrogen gelato is just like gelato but made
differently,” shared Chai. Instead of the tradition-
al method of slow churning and freezing ahead
of time, nitrogen gelato is created in front of you.
The milk, cream, and flavorings are mixed from
scratch. Next, the not-so-secret ingredient, -196°C
liquid nitrogen is added. This instantly freezes the
gelato. Within five minutes, the gelato will be in
your cup, giving you the freshest possible dessert.

Why Use Nitrogen?

Liquid nitrogen is an expensive ingredient.
This means that the cost of a scoop will be high-
er than that in a traditional ice cream shop in the
area. Customers might be hesitant to spend more
money. Additionally, extra time is spent in train-
ing staff to follow proper safety precautions.