The Italian spirit in New York finds another ally, ice cream.
New Yorkers are learning to appreciate the taste of an artisanal product over an industrial one, such as that of traditional ice-cream, and the increase in the number of ice cream parlors in the city confirms this new passion.
An example is Venchi, which after opening a flagship store in Union Square and a second store in Columbus Circle, is about to open a third store in the West Village and by the end of the year there will be a fourth in the Upper. West Side.
"New Yorkers like to discover new foods and ice cream is no exception - Michele Sbarigia, retail operations manager of Venchi USA told ANSA -. It is a different product from ice cream, it is made with natural ingredients, less fat. less sugars and above all not produced at an industrial level.
On a summer day we manage to sell even a thousand ice cream cones and cups ".
When we talk about artisanal Italian ice cream in New York we mean an activity where there is a laboratory where the ice cream is made fresh using ingredients that come from Italy.
According to Dino Borri, Eataly's global vice president, ice cream shops are multiplying in the city because people are tired of pre-packaged food and outdoor dining has also contributed to the sale of ice cream, which has allowed tables to be set up on the street. "A bit like sitting outside in an ice cream parlor in Italy" - he explained. It is no coincidence that another ice cream parlor, Sant'Ambroeus introduced the ice cream cup, a way of eating ice cream that Americans were not used to.
In addition to traditional Italian tastes, there are also those who experiment with new and unusual tastes. The Tree of Ice Cream, in Brooklyn, for example, transforms everything that comes from the earth into ice cream. "Our ice cream parlor is like a tree - explained the owner Monia Solighetto - but instead of giving fruit, it produces ice cream. Our product comes from peasant ingredients, that is, they come from the earth. Among our flavors there are, spinach, asparagus, tomato, cheese and various others ".
That ice cream is a healthier product than ice cream is also confirmed by the indications of the Food and Drug Administration, the US government body that deals with the regulation of food and pharmaceutical products, which defines ice-cream as a product that contains at least 10% fat and traditional brands vary between 14 and 25%.
Ice cream, on the other hand, has between 4 and 9% fat. (HANDLE).