Learning to make gelato at Carpigiani's Gelato University was the foundation of my gelato journey, sitting in classes, listening to the teachers, learning about the science of gelato. But sitting there you absorb so much information, day after day, week after week. You take information in like a student, but you as a person gets to filter that information into your values, your beliefs, your philosophy. Into your gelato, that is why I decided to put my name on my new company and on my gelato for the first time.
I remember first learning about making gelato in a meeting in Burnaby and then in two different gelato schools in Italy. They give people a choice and show everyone the easy way to learn how to make, because most people want it easy, no fuss, follow the steps, make gelato, sell gelato and build a business. This is ok for the vast majority of people as the gelato industry is showing the world and people that gelato is healthier, tastier and Italy's gift to communities, cultures and people around the world. I am truly grateful for the industrialization and easy methods and ingredient packages for gelato companies to make gelato around the world. The industry helps people wanting this method to learn about the business and start a gelato business. It gives people a chance to follow their dreams, passions and love to open a gelato shop. We need more people making gelato and more gelato shops to teach the world and the people in what ever language to say g-e-l-a-t-o. GELATO!
For me and many others, a small percentage of gelato makers tend to use local ingredients, fresh fruit from the farmers, working with the season that our community knows about. This is a very different way of making gelato, just different. I like to use strawberries as an example in my Gelato 101 classes. You get a choice - a strawberry from the local farmer picked that morning from the summer sun or in the winter a strawberry picked 1,000 of km/miles away not ripe, carried by a truck, held in a vegetable distributors warehouse for days and put in a plastic clam shell to sit in
your local grocery store. Sure they technically are both strawberries, but which do you think tastes richer, deeper, lusher and juicier. My pick is the local strawberry grown by a local farmer in the
local strawberry season of sun and heat to get the sweetest and richest taste possible. Now don't get me wrong, some people love buying strawberries in the winter from a foreign country and that works for them. But for me and my gelato, I like to stay in season, I like to respect the local farmers and I personally love eating fresh in-season strawberries, fruit or anything else local first.
Our bodies have seasons in fact, we drink lemonade with ice on a hot day and we drink hot chocolate on a cold day for the most part. Our body craves light in the hot days and heavier foods in the cold days. Our bodies have seasons and I believe with my brand that my gelato stays in season. I summer use berries, in the fall tree fruit, in winter use chocolate and spices and in the spring there is not a lot to work with so just do fun crazy flavours waiting for the summer to arrive. I think that you just have to go to a local farmer's market and that will give you a real good clue about staying in season.
Farmers know best, our bodies know and I like my gelato to reflect these values. It is just my way.
James