Stracciatella (ice cream)

Stracciatella, also known as Stracciatella gelato, is a variety of gelato, consisting of a milk-based ice cream filled with fine, irregular shavings of chocolate. It is one of the most popular gelato flavors in Italy.

Origin:

The flavor was created in 1961 by Enrico Panattoni at the Ristorante La Marianna in Bergamo, Italy. Panattoni, inspired by stracciatella, a popular egg drop soup common in the region, decided to replicate the soup's effect in ice cream. He poured melted chocolate into fior di latte (plain milk-based) gelato while it was churning. The cold temperature of the gelato immediately solidified the chocolate, which was then broken up by the churning action, resulting in the signature chocolate shreds.

Preparation:

Traditional stracciatella is made by drizzling melted dark chocolate into a base of fior di latte gelato (or occasionally vanilla gelato) during the final stages of churning. The cold gelato base solidifies the chocolate almost instantly, and the ongoing churning breaks the chocolate into small, irregular pieces scattered throughout the gelato. The quality of the chocolate and the base are important factors in determining the final flavor and texture.

Variations:

While the classic stracciatella flavor uses dark chocolate, some variations may use milk chocolate or white chocolate. Different producers may also vary the size and distribution of the chocolate shards. Outside of Italy, some ice cream manufacturers use chocolate chips instead of chocolate shavings, which deviates from the traditional method and texture.