how traditional Italian artisan gelato is supposed to be

When we talk about homemade gelato, we immediately think of a simple and genuine product, made with fresh ingredients such as milk, cream, eggs, fruit, etc., but in reality this is not always the case.

Especially in recent years, the actual definition of this term has been discussed several times because, due to the explosion of the ready-to-use mixes market (products that allow you to prepare gelato/ice cream by simply opening a bag and mixing the powdered content with milk or water), there has been a rift in the sector between the "bag cutters", who make extensive use of industrial mixes and simply follow the instructions on the packaging, and the real artisan gelato makers, who create their own recipes according to their own personal experience, dosing and testing every single ingredient up to the desired result and, the best part, having created something unique.

In 2012 the Associazione dei Gelatieri per il Gelato (Gelato Makers Association), which represents those who produce gelato with the aim of enhancing it in the best possible way, both from a cultural and ethical point of view, proposed a definition of “Traditional Italian artisan gelato" and "Artisan gelato maker", which helps distinguish a real gelato maker from a simple gelato retailer. This is the English translation of the original statement:

"The traditional Italian artisan gelato food is the optimal result of the freezing and contemporary churning of a mixture of genuine, natural, preferably fresh, raw materials and high quality food ingredients, chosen, balanced and expertly mixed by the artisan gelato maker in its production workshop according to its originality and creativity. The artisan gelato maker is the prepared professional who knows the particular techniques to balance the ingredients for the realization of an optimal product, knows the organoleptic and functional properties of both the basic ingredients and those reserved to characterize gelato, is aware of the thermal fragility of its products and has the necessary skills related to the management of production processes, using machinery and equipment available for production, storage and sale in the best way and taking care of the quality of its products up to the moment of their consumption. The food preparation of traditional Italian artisan gelato at a temperature of 0 °C (32 °F) is liquid. Only by cold freezing, consisting in mixing and freezing the mixture at the same time, the air is naturally incorporated (without forced insufflation) which gives the product softness. In this state it is intended for sale and consumption. In the thawed state the gelato loses its shape and changes its structure returning to the liquid state. The Italian artisan gelato tradition finds its ideal realization in the production through the use of typical local ingredients."