Tag: Bernardo Buontalenti

Who wouldn’t love the Gelato of Charlie’s Raw Squeeze?

For the uninitiated, Charlie’s Raw Squeeze is a massively popular 100% vegan juice bar. The smoothies, freshly squeezed juices, nice creams, salads, the Gelatos, and other signature menu are made from fresh produce, which are also supplied to Charlie’s Fruit Market.

Raw Squeeze has launched a new range of their famous vegan Gelato, with its much-loved Waffle Cone. The new flavors to try are Fairy Floss, Honeycomb Crunch, Red Riding Hood, and Pistachio Affogato. If you missed their $2-promotion for their new Gelato flavors when the gelato was first launched in Clayfield, you might want to make sure you’ll be around to try their new Mint Choc Gelato.

 

 

Healthy is the new “Cool”

Having a Charlie’s Raw Squeeze gelato is always a good decision. Compared with traditional ice cream, gelato is lower in fat and calories. Gelato has 0% – 5% butterfat because it is made from milk or water. Ice cream is generally made from cream that has 12%-25% butterfat.

Because gelatos are made from milk, they are a great source of calcium. Gelatos with nuts are high in protein, essential in a human diet, while the ones with fruits have higher amount of essential vitamins.

 

Gelato History 101

Gelato originated from late 15th- to early 16th-century Italy. Bernardo Buontalenti, native of Florence, Italy, has been credited as its inventor when he served the King of Spain a frozen dessert of cream, milk, lemons, and oranges. This marked the birth of the gelato in Italy.

Prior to Buontalenti, a chicken farmer named Ruggeri won the famed Medici family’s competition called “The Most Unusual Dish You Ever Seen,” when he presented his tasty frozen dessert of fruit juice and ice, similar to today’s sorbet.

In Asia, a “frozen dessert” dates back to 3,000 B.C. when the Asian region discovered crushed ice and added flavorings. In 2,500 B.C., Egyptian pharaohs began serving a cup of ice sweetened by fruit juices to their guests.

Even the Romans began a ritual of consuming the ice from the volcanic mountains of Etna and Vesuvius. They mixed the ice with honey.

In 1686, the gelato became famous in Europe. Francesco Procopio de Coltelli, a famous Italian restaurateur, moved from Palermo to Paris and opened the Procope, a café that served refined gelato in a small glass.

In 1770, Giovanni Basiolo introduced two types of gelato to New York City. Residents loved the sorbetto, a chilled mixture of water and fruits; and a second version made by mixing milk with cinnamon, chocolate, or coffee.

In 1846, Americans used a hand-cranked freezer to make a creamy version, now known as ice cream.

Gelato was introduced to different countries. In Australia, Alpino Gelato was the first gelato company. Today, gelato is served in different parts of Australia, including at Charlie’s Raw Squeeze.

 

Have a gelato. Or two.

Aside from their Clayfield store, Charlie’s Raw Squeeze also has other branches located in North Lakes, Everton Park, Kenmore, and Clontarf. Visit their Facebook page for updates on promotions and events.

 

 

Photo credit: Charlie’s Raw Squeeze/Facebook