Learn To Make Gelato In Italy

To learn to make gelato in Italy would be a truly unique experience for anyone. Italians take their popular dessert very seriously and here is how you can too.

In Italy, some things that we from the US might take for granted or hand off responsibilities to large industrial food service businesses are more serious. Some of it is more obvious to me, like professional restorers, or being a professional barista, but one that recently surprised me was how seriously Italians view Gelato. It isn’t just a delicious treat that you buy in the freezer section of your local grocery store and was made in some factory in the Midwest, but it is local, high quality and very professional.

I wanted to list some training schools that might interest a professional, an enthusiast or simply a Foodie that wants to take their gelato knowledge and skills up a notch. In addition to the training schools for artisan gelato makers, every year there is an opportunity to learn and develop professionally at the International Handmade Gelato, Pastry, and Bakery Fair that I will describe in more detail below.

Learn To Make Gelato In Italy - Stainless — Stainless Everywhere

Where Can I Learn Gelato In Italy?

Here is a list of some of the top schools in Italy where you can learn the artisanal craft of making gelato, improve to a more professional level or even open your own gelateria.

The Institute of Food and Wine of the Regions of Italy

Known as the ICIF, this school lies between Torino and Genoa outside of Asti, and they view their purpose being to classify, protect and promote the image of Italian cuisine, the excellence of local produce and regional food and wine culture, by teaching professionals around the world. They put a strong emphasis on the value of real Italian Cuisine and the excellent food products that distinguish it as “Made in Italy”.

For their course on Italian gelato, ICIF has created a 4-week training course of theoretical and practical lessons at the ICIF in which the student learns from Master Ice Cream makers who introduce the students to the world of the Italian gelato, starting from the raw materials in order to learn the techniques for the preparation of properly balanced ice creams, sorbet and granites.

Carpigiani Gelato University

This school is headquartered in Bologna, but has satellite campuses all over the world and has online courses available as well. It was founded in 2003 with the goal to spread the culture of Italian artisan gelato throughout the world. Carpigiani Gelato University is today the largest international gelato school, globally recognized as a breeding ground for successful gelato entrepreneurs, as well as a key training center for chefs and pastry chefs.

Their Basic Gelato Course is a 1 week program, lasting around 40 hours, with the goal of making the students understand what high-quality gelato is and how to produce it by providing an overview of the production methods and the different categories of products offered by a modern gelato shop. The aim of this basic course is to provide fundamental knowledge about the profitability of the business and the organization of work in a gelateria. By the end of the course, students will be able to produce milk-based gelato, variegated gelato, sorbets, granita and gelato on a stick.

Learn To Make Gelato In Italy - Variety — Delicious Variety

Florence Culinary Arts School

As you might imagine, this school is in Florence and was established in 1983. The Florence Culinary Arts School (FCAS) is a professional institute with the mission of spreading the excellence of Italian cuisine around the world.

The gelato courses, which last either 1 or 2 weeks, are considered “special” courses because they are considered so narrowly focused, as compared to their other Professional Chef or Home Cooking programs. In their gelato course, the student will learn gelato making at a certified gelato craftsman store. It requires traditional advanced skills. An award winning gelato craftsman will provide hands-on guidance.

Italian Gelato Training Center

This school is located outside of Piacenza and offers professional, basic and advanced courses for those who have made (or want to make) gelato their passion and work. Combining theory and practice, tradition and imagination, their gelato training presents all the latest trends of the market.

Their gelato-making courses are for both beginners and professionals with a wide knowledge of artisan gelato. These courses include:

How To Open A Gelateria
- Opening a gelateria: “How to design a gelateria” (2 Days)
- Basic Course: Gelato and Sorbetto (2 Days)
How To Become A Successful Gelato Maker
- Advanced Course: Gelato, Sorbetto, Granita (3 Days)
- Soft ice cream and frozen yogurt (1 Day)
How To Improve Your Skills
- 5 Different Theme Courses (6 Days)
- Do-It-Yourself Gelato Making Course (3 Days)

Gelato Naturale Academy

This school, in the Tuscan town of Grosseto, was created with the goal of teaching and promoting the art of creating natural gelato. They teach students to balance their recipes starting from the scratch using only raw materials, without the use of preparations or semi-finished products.

Their courses include:

Basic+Intermediate (5 Days)
Advanced+Specialization (5 Days)
Totally Vegan (2 Days)
Master Level (2 Days)

Learn To Make Gelato In Italy - Sorbetto — Lemon Sorbetto

Are There Other Ways To Learn To Make Gelato In Italy?

One fun way to learn more about gelato is to attend The SIGEP Dolce World Expo, also known as the International Handmade Gelato, Pastry, and Bakery Fair. The SIGEP Dolce World Expo is an event where you can find all the Italian gelato businesses and various types of competitions for Italian and foreign gelato-makers. The attendees of this expo seek to promote a culture of professionalism, research and experimentation.

This expo is for you if you want a dynamic and stimulating environment where innovation takes center stage and gelato companies gather to present their most lavish creations and most innovative products. The exhibition area of the Gelato section include:

Machinery and systems
Raw materials and ingredients
Furniture and equipment
Window displays and Confection
Accessories for product presentation
Packaging
Franchisors
Services

More Information For Gelato Fanatics

If you enjoyed this article about how to learn to make gelato, I’m guessing you love gelato and are interested in learning more about the best places in Rome and beyond. Check out some of these articles: