Just in case you need another excuse to love gelato, we’ve got your back. According to research in Italy, extra-virgin olive oil can be used as a fat substitute in Italian-style artisanal ice cream, and that’s because it does not significantly change the original flavor… at all. The combination actually lowers the ratio between saturated and unsaturated fats, improves the number of polyphenols and increases antioxidant activity. In other words, gelato will be as delicious as always it has been AND it’s even healthier now – with the addition of EVOO!
This newly discovered information was reported by the Olive Oil Times who interviewed the researcher behind the study, Raffaele Sacchi – professor of agri-food industries and expert on the Mediterranean diet at the University of Naples Federico II. “We aimed to characterize an innovative gelato and, with the support of a gelato maker from Caserta, we made this type of ice cream by adding an extra-virgin olive oil produced in Battipaglia, characterized by medium bio-phenol content and an herbaceous green flavor with a moderately bitter taste,” Sacchi stated.
Basically, they added extra-virgin olive oil to the basic ingredients of gelato, formulating various versions of the recipe in order to compare chemical, physical and sensory profiles of the ice cream. From there, Sacchi and his team looked at changes in aroma, taste, antioxidant levels and other attributes of the gelato. The analysis confirmed the team’s hypothesis: Sacchi and associates found a chemical interaction between the extra-virgin olive oil polyphenols and the milk protein matrix. “This means that if you add a very bitter and fruity olive oil to the gelato, the intensity is “dampened” by the bonds that are formed with proteins. For example, in a fior di latte gelato, you don’t taste the bitterness and pungency, but pleasant floral, herbaceous notes instead,” Sacchi explained.
All this to say: gelato can now be considered even a “functional” food with health benefits – thanks to the discovery of EVOO gelato!