Who Doesn’t Know Artisan Gelato?
When we say cone, flavors, paddle, or cup, everyone immediately understands these terms without confusion. But have you ever wondered if gelato was born exactly as we know it today? When, where, and why was it invented?
Eat and Drink — The Biblical Connection
To discover gelato’s origins, we must travel back to ancient times. Like many inventions, its history is full of overlapping characters, eras, and places. Some stories tell of people who, lacking natural snow, created ice by heating water and then cooling it in deep underground cellars where steam froze on the rocks. The Egyptians supposedly served guests silver goblets divided in half: one filled with snow, the other with fruit juices. Even the Old Testament hints at gelato-like ideas — Abraham tells his son Isaac, “Eat and drink; the sun is hot and you can cool yourself,” referring to a drink made of goat’s milk mixed with snow.
The First Gelato Carts in Ancient Rome
One of the earliest historical references to “gelato” comes from a Greek poet in Athens around 500 BC, describing how the Greeks loved refreshing drinks made from lemon, honey, pomegranate juice, and naturally, snow or ice. Alexander the Great, during his Indian conquests, demanded constant supplies of snow to enjoy with honey, building special pits called neviere to store it. The Romans were pioneers in creating gelato resembling what we eat today: Pliny the Elder’s recipe calls for mixing crushed ice with honey and fruit juices, and documents show active commerce of snow from the Terminillo, Vesuvius, and Etna mountains. Along major roads, thermopolia—ancient food stalls akin to today’s gelato carts—were widespread.
Ali Baba and the 40... Sorbets
With the fall of the Roman Empire, much culinary refinement was lost, but gelato traditions persisted and were enhanced in the Arab world before returning to Europe via Sicily, long ruled by Middle Eastern peoples. The word “sorbet” comes from the Arabic sharbat (sweet snow) or sharber (to sip).
Gelato in the Middle Ages
Crusaders helped spread gelato to Northern European courts, where snow was plentiful but fruit and Mediterranean aromas were scarce. This explains Sicily’s excellence in gelato artistry: the island’s abundant fruit and Mount Etna’s snow have been endless sources for creating and perfecting new flavors. Sicilian gelato makers exported sorbets first to Naples, then Florence, Milan, Venice, and eventually to France, Germany, and England. In Spain, gelato arrived more recently thanks to Portuguese explorers who discovered it during their flourishing trade in the Indies.
Ruggeri, Buontalenti, and Procopio: Fathers of Modern Gelato
While legend enriches gelato’s story, documented facts exist: Florence gave gelato two fathers—Ruggeri and Buontalenti.
Ruggeri, a poultry seller and part-time cook, entered a competition organized by the Medici court for “the most unique dish ever seen.” He presented a nearly forgotten “frozen dessert” sorbet that won the judges over, making him and his recipe famous across Tuscany.
Buontalenti, an architect, sculptor, and chemist, in 1565 organized a lavish feast for the Duke of Tuscany’s Spanish guests, serving a famous frozen cream (the “Florentine cream”) that became wildly popular and spread throughout Europe.
The commercial breakthrough came from Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli from Acitrezza (Catania). Using his grandfather’s invention and substituting sugar for honey plus salt-ice mixtures for longer preservation, he moved to Paris in 1686. There, he opened Le Procope — serving “frozen waters” (granitas) and fruit gelatos — which soon became the most famous café in France, frequented by luminaries such as Voltaire, Napoleon, George Sand, Balzac, and Victor Hugo.
The Birth of Street Gelato and the Cone
The invention of the gelato cone is claimed by several stories. One says it originated in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair, when a gelato vendor ran out of cups and creatively used nearby waffle cones — an instant hit!
Others, including the Washington Post, credit Italian immigrant Italo Marchiony who, inspired by Italy’s ancient wafer craft, patented the cone in New York in 1903, launching the era of “takeaway gelato.”
Gelato Today
Since then, gelato has spread worldwide with countless flavors — from fresh and dried fruits to creams, yogurts, chocolate, and coffee. More recently, “savory” gelatos featuring cheese or aromatic herbs have emerged, piquing curiosity and delighting customers with ever-new taste experiences.