Artisan Gelato in Como: The Scoop That Finishes Our Class

Artisan vs industrial: the real difference

The word “artisan” gets overused, but there is a concrete difference. Real artisan gelato is churned fresh in small batches, with fresh milk and seasonal fruit, and no ready-made industrial bases. Less air is whipped in — the overrun is low — so it is denser and creamier, not puffed up. It is also served a little less cold than industrial ice cream: at a warmer temperature the flavour opens up on the tongue, instead of being numbed by the freeze.

No pre-mix bases, just raw ingredients

Supermarket ice cream often starts from an industrial base — a powder or liquid pre-mix with vegetable fats, thickeners and flavourings — whipped with a lot of air to make it fluffy and, in effect, sell air by weight. The artisan does the opposite: a handful of good ingredients — milk, cream, sugar, fruit or nuts — worked the same day. That is why the pistachio is dark green rather than neon, and the strawberry tastes of strawberries rather than candy.

Why Como has this tradition

Como is a city of lakes and dairies. Many of the historic gelaterie in the old town began life as neighbourhood latterie (dairy shops) and then started churning gelato with their own milk. Luisita, for instance, has made gelato in Como since 1921: it was born as a latteria and is now run by the fourth generation. We mention it as evidence of the living tradition in the centro storico — one of the faces of that culture, not necessarily our own supplier. That is exactly the point: in Como, artisan gelato is a story of families, not a fad.

Why we serve it with traditional balsamic

We close every class with a scoop of local artisan gelato and a few drops of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP. It is a sweet-and-sour contrast: the cold sweetness of the gelato and the dense, mature acidity of the balsamic balance in a single spoonful. We have written a whole piece on that balsamic — the vinegar that dresses the gelato — if you want to understand why a few drops are enough.

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Taste it at the end of class

The scoop arrives at the end, when we sit down at the table with the pasta we have just made. You will find it closing every masterclass: the Tagliatelle Masterclass – Fresh Tomato, the Tagliatelle Masterclass – Ragù Bolognese, the Ravioloni Verdi Masterclass – Ricotta and the Farfalle e Garganelli Masterclass – Ragù.