The Italian word "Gelato" means frozen. Gelato is made with fresh milk, cream, sugar and natural flavors. In the warmer regions of southern Italy, this frozen dessert is mostly water based and called "Sorbetto".
Compared to ice cream, Gelato is creamier, with a silky texture and much more intense flavor. Also, where ice cream is anywhere from 10-18 percent fat, Gelato is only 4-8 percent fat, and Sorbetto is only one percent fat. The lower fat content and the warmer freezing temperatures along with the freshness of the products make gelato a very unique and pleasurable experience.
Gelato is by far one of the most important components of good Italian cuisine. Although the origin of this delicious dessert can be traced to the time of the Roman Empire and was also common among the Greeks ,Turks, and Arabs, it’s consumption began to be known among the Italian and French nobility around the 14th century. Gelato is typically found in shops called Gelateria and run as family businesses from generation to generation passing along secret recipes.
Gelatomania brings to the United States a family tradition in the art of making the best Italian frozen desserts. Gelatomania uses only secret recipes developed over 25 years and six different Gelaterias by Oscar Pallotti. These recipes have been passed down to Oscar’s son, Fabrizio and is made fresh daily with only the best natural ingredients available here and imported from Italy.
Gelatomania is also a Café, a traditional Italian coffee house serving espresso, cappuccino, chocolate, frappe’ (milk and fruit shakes) granantina along with pastries cakes and a seasonal gourmet menu of vegetarian breakfast and lunch selections.
In addition, we would like to dedicate this enterprise to our fathers, Jim Cayton and Oscar Pallotti whose incredible wisdom and love have inspired us to share these unbelievable products with the people of Northern California.
Gelatomania is proud to bring our delicious gelato Italian ice cream to Santa Cruz, California. We are located in the main part of downtown Santa Cruz, California where people come visit us every day to enjoy Italian ice cream gelato. If you are looking at this website and are in Santa Cruz, California then please come downtown to our gelateria and enjoy tasting all the blissful gelato flavors until you have found your very favorite gelato Italian ice cream flavor! In addition to our world renowned Italian ice cream gelato, we also offer wireless internet and an oxygen bar.
