There is some confusion in the origin as to where or who really invented gelato. It is interesting to note that the history of gelato is related to methods and technics used for making this delicious iced dessert.
At the beginning, the syrup substance was brought to freezing point using a salt compound. However Chefs had to wait for the 20th century to see the first system of mixing and freezing. Before the development of modern and cheap refrigeration gelato was a luxury reserved for special occasion. During that era another important method was discovered: how to double the amount of air in gelato which allowed manufactures to use less product and raw material, therefore to reduce costs. The product realized through this system is called, now as in the past, soft ice cream.
The first frozen dessert is credited to Emperor Nero of Rome. It was a mixture of snow and nectar, fruit pulp and honey. It seems that Nero used to send his slaves into the mountains to retrieve the snow.
Another theory is correlated to Marco Polo which in the 13th century brought in Europe from the Asia, recipes for water ices.
During the Italian Renaissance Bernardo Buontalenti from Florence delighted the court of Catherina dei Medici with his “frozen creation”. Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli from Sicily was one of the first to sell gelato to the public. In 1686 he opened a gelato parlour called “Café Procope” in Paris. It became definitely the most popular haunt of the literary establishment.
In Italy, the art of gelato making was passed on from father to son. This long process allowed the improvement of recipes and methods to up the 20th century when gelato makers began to emigrate all over Europe bringing with them the art of gelato making. For that reason Italians are credited with introducing gelato to the rest of Europe and even in the rest of the world.
The first gelato parlour in America was opened in New York City in 1776 by Giovanni Bosio of Genoa.
The first commercial ice cream plant was established in Baltimore in 1851 by Jacob Fussell.
In Australia the first commercial ice cream was produced in 1907.
1969: the birth of a world-leading brand
Established in 1969, Frigomat starts its activity as a manufacturer of soft ice cream equipment. The range widens then with the introduction of a line of machines for the traditional ice cream. This happens in the seventies along with the great diffusion of the Italian artisan ice cream: gelato.
The following twenty years witness the perfecting of the production lines and a remarkable commercial growth making Frigomat the reference point of the professional gelato makers.