What else could cool us down during the hottest Israeli summer we've known, if not a refreshing and chilly cup of ice cream? Forget about vanilla, chocolate, or pistachio which are common everywhere. During Israel's first ice cream festival, which will open Wednesday at the Tel Aviv Port's market, you will find the most unique and original ice cream flavors you can encounter.
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The unique flavors will include pine nut ice cream and bread and butter ice cream, caramelized fig ice cream, and cornflake ice cream with milk. Sweet cotton candy ice cream and carrot cake ice cream will also be available. There will be a nostalgic banana-punch ice cream, alongside modern orange-campari ice cream and mojito ice cream.
Galileto | Kibbutz Sde Nehemia
Two childhood friends who grew up together in Haifa had a dream to create ice cream that was born during a trip to Italy. They studied on the Italian peninsula and specialized in gelato preparation, along with determination and entrepreneurship – and thus Gelilto was born. The Italian dream started with Rafi Ashkenazi and was joined by Jackie Mizrahi, a marketing and sales expert with 30 years of experience, who left his job to join his good friend and turn the ice cream dream into an active business. The friends and family became the messengers, and the boutique ice cream parlor hit the road.
"The magic of ice cream is seeing the children's eyes light up and how they jump when you give them a scoop of ice cream in a cone or cup. It's the greatest pleasure in life," describes Jackie. "It's sweet, it's soft, it looks beautiful, it refreshes, and it engages all the senses. It speaks to everyone, adults, and children alike. When I was asked if it was worth it to open an ice cream business, I thought about the target audience, and I realized that it appeals to people from the age of 3 to 103, so it's definitely worth it."
Their ice creams are low in sugar, even compared to other boutique manufacturers, and certainly compared to commercial and industrial producers. "That's the message we convey to our customers because when you make ice cream with very high-quality ingredients and good-quality cream, the chemistry of ice cream preparation balances the sugar levels. That's what we learned in Italy, and that's how we do it too."
What are the most unique flavors you have created?
"Mascarpone Pecan, Brownie sweet potato, Basil and Red Grape, and fruit ice creams like Kiwi, Passion Fruit, and Mango."
Their ice cream parlor is located in the dining room building of the kibbutz, which was renovated three years ago, and that's where they also produce the ice cream.
How do the kibbutz members react?
"They attached to us perfectly, and they are happy and proud to have an ice cream parlor in the kibbutz."
And the customers' strolling around the kibbutz don't bother?
"Until now, I haven't heard any complaints. Many people come to us, tourists, and Israelis who don't cause disturbances and mess in the kibbutz, so it works great. In general, there is a trend today to develop businesses within the kibbutz, which is both economically beneficial and improves the residents' quality of life."
Mystic Artisanicecream | Tel Aviv
Mark Shtickman, spent his entire life working in the haute couture scene in Paris. He owned a prestigious fashion boutique that attracted all the fashionistas of the City of Lights. Eight years ago, he moved to Israel following his children and just before the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided to open an ice cream parlor inspired by the Parisian gelato. The gelato in his parlor relies on excellent ingredients and contains relatively little sugar. Among the flavors, you'll find French nougat with honey and saffron, chocolate with caramelized almonds, authentic vanilla, Sicilian pistachio, and more.
"The most important thing in gelato is the smoothness, and the use of fresh and high-quality ingredients, and the generous touch," says the 65-year-old. "Israelis might not be fond of sorbet here because they got used to sorbet tasting like water, but the French sorbet I prepare is based on one hundred percent fruit, so the flavor of the gelato truly derives from the fruit's essence. For example, when you eat my strawberry sorbet, you feel like you're actually eating real strawberries."
The idea for the gelateria came after he made Aliyah and realized that it was challenging to sustain himself in the fashion industry. He sought livelihood in the food sector because "in Israel, people love to eat. Bread, falafel, gelato, and preferably in large quantities. But it is essential to understand that it's not about the quantity, but the quality. If we change that and teach Israelis to appreciate quality over quantity, it would be excellent, as we need to enjoy ourselves while also maintaining good health. For instance, people ask me if we have sugar-free gelato. I don't know how to make gelato without sugar, but I do know how to make very high-quality gelato with little sugar. It's better to consume a small amount of high-quality gelato with a little sugar and savor the enjoyment."
But Israelis love sweet gelato
"True, but they are gradually starting to understand that the best gelato is less sweet because you need to taste the flavors of the ingredients and not just the sugar. When you add more sugar, it's to compensate for using fewer ingredients, which are more expensive. Like, for example, using high-fat cream."
So, what flavors do Israelis love?
"Lately, anything caramelized. Caramelized almonds or crème brûlée, which is vanilla with caramel. I also incorporate saffron in gelato, a flavor Israelis love."
Galileto and Mystic Artisanicecream are just two of many parlors that will take part in the Tel Aviv ice cream festival, and for those of you who might miss this sweet, chilly opportunity, Ynet prepared a homemade ice cream recipe:
Recipe for homemade gelato
Ingredients:
- 1/2 liter (500ml) heavy cream (38% fat)
- 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
- 70g cocoa powder
- 50g sugar
- Pinch of salt
Instructions:
- In a bowl, mix together the condensed milk and sugar. Add the cocoa powder and mix well. Sprinkle in the salt and continue mixing until fully combined.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream until it forms stable peaks.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cocoa mixture, adding it in thirds until fully incorporated.
- Transfer the resulting mixture into an airtight plastic container and freeze for 4-6 hours or until the gelato is completely frozen.
- Enjoy your delicious homemade chocolate gelato!
Are you craving gelato? The ice cream festival will take place on August 2 and 3, from 5pm to 10pm, at Hangar 12 in the Tel Aviv Port market