The famous writer Gianni Rodari wrote in one of his fables that once in Bologna (a city in central-northern Italy), a palace of gelato was created, and children came from all over Italy to lick it: some tasted a chocolate-flavored door, some enjoyed a coffee-flavored window, and some devoured the roof made of strawberry. Since then, when Italian children ask for another gelato, their parents reply: "Of course, for you, we need an entire ice cream palace, like that one in Bologna."
(Il Laboratorio del Gelato)
Perhaps, in the future, someone will also make a palace of gelato in Shanghai, and the children of this wonderful city will enjoy eating it as soon as possible before it melts. However, even today, there is no shortage of opportunities for adults and children to enjoy a good ice cream in Shanghai. For example, they can visit the ice cream shop "Gelato Dal Cuore" (in the heart of the city, at 600 Shanxi North Road), which offers a wide variety of flavors, ranging from classic Italian ice creams to more surprising combinations. The environment of this ice cream shop is welcoming and warm, with a design that recalls traditional Italian ice cream shops, creating a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere. After all, “Gelato Dal Cuore” in Italian means “Ice cream from the Heart."
Gelato is a true work of art, and it is no coincidence that it was invented in Florence during the Renaissance by an artist: Bernardo Buontalenti, who was an architect, sculptor, and painter, but today he is remembered above all as the one who, around the year 1565, at the court of Caterina de' Medici, made the first ice cream using snow, lemons, sugar, egg whites, and milk.
(Gelato Dal Cuore)
The same artistic inspiration animates Alberto Lova and his wife, Gabbrielle Wang, who manage the ice cream shop “Gelato Bello” at 126 Yongkang Road. Gelato Bello (it means “Beautiful Ice Cream”) represents a must-see for anyone who loves high-quality artisanal ice cream. One of the strengths of Gelato Bello is the wide range of flavors available, ranging from Italian classics such as Vanilla, Tiramisu, and Chocolate to more innovative options developed by Alberto and his wife through the combination of classic Italian flavors with local Chinese influences. Among the most popular flavors there is Caffè al Liquore, a fusion of Italian coffee and Luzhou Baijiu, that symbolically represents the combination between Italian and Chinese cultures. With a design reminiscent of ice cream parlors in Italian seaside resorts, Alberto and his wife have created an environment that conveys happiness and serenity, a place where cultures meet and flavors blend to create something truly special.
Returning to the history of gelato, another important milestone was in 1770, when the Italian Giovanni Bosio exported artisanal ice cream to America by opening the first ice cream shop in New York. In 1868, another Italian immigrant in New York, Italo Marchioni, created the first cone, an important invention (for which Marchioni registered the US patent) that revolutionized the way of eating ice cream.
Il Laboratorio del Gelato (it means “The Ice Cream Lab”) comes directly from New York and is enjoying success in Shanghai; located at 8 Hengshan Road, in a central but quiet area, this ice cream shop continues the tradition of New York style with a modern design (characterized by shades of white, light blue and dark blue) and offers a wide assortment of delicious flavors. The ice cream is characterized by the quality and authentic flavor of the ingredients, making the gelato and sherbert healthy and light. To ensure a high-quality product, Il Laboratorio del Gelato uses in Shanghai the same Italian Carpigiani ice cream machines used in the New York store, with patented technologies and intelligent control systems.
One last curiosity: ice cream is so important in European culture that, in 2012, the European Parliament established the European Day of Artisan Gelato (the only day that the European Parliament has so far dedicated to a food); every year, on March 24th, events, meetings, and initiatives are held to spread the culture of gelato.
