Off to Italy to Interview The Gelato Authority, Andrea Fassi

Do you know the difference between Italian gelato and ice cream? I bet you do, but until two weeks ago, I really had no clue. While they are both cold, creamy and delicious, I thought of gelato as being like the complicated, bilingual, well-traveled, private school cousin of ice cream. Either way, I wanted to learn more about the difference between the two, so I set out to Italy to (celebrate my sweet mom’s birthday) and to interview the absolute authority on Italian gelato, Andrea Fassi. And friends, let me tell you, in a beautiful century-old gelato shop, on an ancient road in the heart of Rome, not only did I learn about what makes gelato extraordinary, but I also had an unexpected revelation about what makes people extraordinary. This was a sweet little story that I was eager to come home and share with my children….

—–

Andrea Fassi is the great grandson of Giovanni Fassi, one of the first gelato artisans, (gelatieres) in the world. In 1880, Andrea’s family started the first gelateria (gelato shop) in Rome, Italy, called Palazzo del Freddo di Giovanni, (say that ten times fast)! Generation after generation the Fassi family has been holding true to their traditional and well-perfected gelato recipes, while pushing the creative envelope with new innovative flavors, each year. Now as CEO of Palazzo del Freddo de Giovanni, Andrea Fassi is managing not only the current business, but also the imminent expansion of Fassi Gelato around the world.

So there I was in Rome, with a six o’clock meeting set up Andrea Fassi himself, at Palazzo del Freddo di Giovanni, (the gelato lab). I’m not exactly sure why, but upon arriving, I was expecting a small, quaint gelato shop tucked away in a hidden Rome alley. However, to my surprise, Fassi Gelato Lab was anything but quaint. I walked into a large beautiful old building that was absolutely packed with customers. The walls were adorned with century old Fassi ads, and beautiful antique gelato equipment. Take a look at this dreamy place…

Then as I stood in this Italian gelato shop that was like something out of a Nancy Meyers film, here comes Andrea Fassi himself, floating into the shop like he was fresh off a Vespa ride with some super hot Italian lady. It was one of those moments where everything was like a slow motion music video from back in the day. He waved his hair out of his face, put his sunglasses on his head, and kindly introduced himself. Within moments it was clear that we were in the midst the ultimate gelato aficionado.

Andrea was kind enough to take us back to the gelato lab where each day their team of gelatieres make massive quantities of fresh and even seasonal gelato. Here is a peek a the lab…

As we walked with Andrea through the gelato lab, I was met with a few surprises along the way. Andrea explained how the process used to make gelato a century ago, is quite similar to how Fassi gelato is still made to this day. I was also surprised at how little equipment was required to produce such diverse flavors, and vast quantities of gelato. I was expecting a huge array of mixers and machines, and while the equipment they did have was huge and state-of-the-art, it was minimal.

The biggest surprise however was when I began to ask Andrea about what goes into gelato, and the differences between ice cream and gelato. It turns out that while I thought of gelato as being the complex, extra fancy version of ice cream, it’s quite the opposite.

What makes gelato so great is actually the low quantity and high quality of the ingredients, (the Fassi family even sources cows from far in the Italian Alps because their diet produces such delicious milk). Simple ingredients + best quality possible + love (of course) = extraordinary gelato.

Hmmmm. This got me thinking. Don’t you think that some of the best things in life are like gelato? They aren’t fussy or complex, but simple and of really good quality. See, when something is truly good, it doesn’t need a lot of extras.

In fact, as a mom, I was eager to share this little revelation with my children. I want my kids to know that what makes them so great is the goodness they have on the inside. They don’t have to try hard to be great. They don’t have to be like someone else, wear fancy clothes, or have certain things. They have the best quality ingredients on the inside, and that is more than enough. Any other bells and whistles are just the whipped cream on top!

Anyways, after our tour of the Fassi Gelateria, Andrea Fassi was kind enough to let us try any of the gelato flavors they had in the store. DREAM COME TRUE! We were obsessed with the fruit flavors which were like nothing else I’ve ever tried. This gelato tasted as if the berries were picked that day, (and they quite likely may have been). We also tried various rich flavors like, mocha, chocolate and several others. This gelato was so extraordinary that we found ourselves sitting at a table with tons of melted gelato, because we were savoring each bite so slowly. Quality problem, you guys! It is just…that…good.

In the end I was left with an experience that will stick with me for the rest of my life. Not only was the experience that Andrea gave us beyond anything imaginable, but I was reminded that the best things in life are like gelato. Sweet, simple, made with love, and of great quality.