MILAN, Italy – Pastry is becoming increasingly innovative, and at HostMilano, dessert has always played a fundamental role in the gelato, pastry, bars, coffee machines and vending macro-areas. In order to amaze the consumer and meet diversified needs, the gelato and pastry sector, as HostMilano confirms thanks to its constant analysis and deepening of the market, knows how to reinvent itself, starting with the precious support of technology.
Ice cream parlours, the era of new concepts
Design, sustainability and automation are the year’s themes identified by HostMilano for a new proposal of furniture and display cases for desserts and ice creams.
Starting from the vertical ice cream parlour, the new concept that reinterprets the idea of a counter by eliminating the traditional barriers of exposure, up to perfectly vertical showcases integrated flush to the wall and the refrigerated display cases with drawers opening.
For the refrigeration sector, companies’ commitment is increasingly focused on sustainability and energy saving: plug-in products that use ecological gases appear on the market with very low Co2 emissions and innovative, intelligent refrigeration systems that facilitate and digitize the functionality of the instruments.
The design, combined with technology and ease of use, transforms the style of the classic ice cream parlour in favour of an image of greater appeal.
An example is the introduction of the professional over-the-counter filler, a pastry bag with which to fill medium and large trays, cups and glasses with ice cream, jam, sorbets, ganaches and creams or creams or the over-the-counter machine that allows the pasteurizer to work even in vacuum mode.
Free-froam dessert at HostMilano
HostMilano has intercepted the solutions that the companies in the ice cream & pastry sector have put in place to surprise even the most demanding palates, whether for reasons of intolerance or allergy, both for those looking for an irresistible novelty.
In the ice cream and pastry sector, the biggest defendants turn out to be lactose, gluten, sugars and animal derivatives, considered raw materials whose intake must be drastically reduced, if at all eliminated.
As a result, the biggest trends of the moment reflect the demand for “free-from” products. Therefore, the goal on the part of the companies becomes to formulate ingredients that meet these requests without sacrificing the taste, structure, and goodness of artisan products because a dessert is a food that is not consumed out of necessity but for the pleasure it provides.
Therefore, in order to meet the latest market trends, increasingly attentive to healthy and cultural needs, products have been introduced without added sugar; they are flanked by lactose-free bases, using delactosed milk derivatives and bases without emulsifiers, formulated with the sole use of stabilizers, vegetable fibre and protein.
In response to the vegan trend, ice cream bases and pastry stabilizers derived from rice and without sucrose have been developed, 100% vegetable and VeganOK certified. With the same approach, a family of ingredients dedicated to producing entirely gluten- free baked desserts has also been created.
Italian ice cream at HostMilano
The attention to the ingredients and the search for elements satisfying for the taste contribute to creating the trends for the summer season.
From the latest data collected by HostMilano, it has emerged that Italian ice cream is more sustainable due to the choice of raw materials, sometimes self-produced and at zero km, and many entrepreneurs feel called to offer a product made with top quality ingredients while enhancing the territory at the same time.
With classic flavours, such as pistachio, chocolate and fior di latte, the search for creative recipes has led to evolution and variety in the proposals, sometimes even very bold, that can be found in ice cream parlours in Italy and beyond.
In the Gambero Rosso Gelaterie d’Italia 2022 edition, the best Italian ice cream parlours reported by Tre Coni increased to 61 with four new entries: Pallini in Seregno (Mb), Terra Gelato in Milan, Fatamorgana in Rome and Officine del Gusto in Pignola.
Ice cream flavours at HostMilano
Try the sesame flavour of Ispica, a Sicilian product introduced at the Arab domination, processed by the Pallini ice cream parlour to create a unique ice cream; or the Mediterranean, a flavour that encompasses Pink Lemon and caramelized citrus zest.
Terra Gelato’s workhorse has the savoury Sicilian Pistachio flavour and Tiramisu instead; gastronomic flavours such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Peas and mint, Truffle and Butter and anchovies are not conventional.
For the sweet tooth, Fatamorgana has created ice cream cannoli with waffles and irresistible flavours: buckwheat waffle with pastry ice cream covered with milk chocolate, toasted almond flakes and orange zest; rice waffle filled with creamy ice cream with bean strawberry sauce, covered with white chocolate and decorated with cocoa and raspberry cranes, or corn waffle with Tahitian vanilla ice cream and Sicilian first flower lemon with white chocolate and crispy caramel flakes.
There are also touches of great originality, such as ginger cream, chestnut honey and lemon zest, carrot cake ice cream, red beetroot, blond chocolate sauce and puffed quinoa. Officine del Gusto surprises with the flavour created specifically for the Giro d’Italia, obviously pink: ricotta cream coloured with beet powder, crispy with berries and chocolate raspberry chocolate stracciatella.
Among the most surprising Fiori di Latte ice creams in Lucano extra virgin olive oil with bread crumble and sugar crystals; strawberry sorbet metapontine with peppers and chocolate to be enjoyed inside a soft sandwich. For the sweet tooth? Chocolate, caramel and peanuts.
HostMilano and USA
Also, on the other side of the ocean, there are many innovations in terms of flavours and selected raw materials in the USA.
HostMilano has captured the “best of” starting from the trends reported by the Gayot guide, which includes the best stars and stripes ice cream parlours.
In Connecticut, the Arethusa Farm Dairy offers fresh ice creams in the “Old Fashioned” flavours such as chocolate, sweet cream, vanilla, coffee, strawberry and mint flakes, while in San Francisco, at the Bi-Rite creamery & bakeshop, where local and organic ingredients are used, we point out the famous salted caramel ice cream, it is a must also for Bottega Italiana, in Seattle, which offers it with hazelnuts and sea salt.
Alternative flavours for The Creole Creamery in New Orleans: Creole cream cheese ice cream, lavender honey and blueberry mojito sorbet. Creativity in frozen form at the Finest Ice Cream in New York, where unique flavours such as Vietnamese coffee and banana curry are prepared.
Flavours from the world inspire Wanderlust Creamery ice creams in Los Angeles: the most characteristic include rice and mango, ube malted crunch, Vietnamese rock road, pandan tres leches and early grey.
Chocolate in the foreground
Sweets, ice cream, but also a lot of chocolate. HostMilano reveals how the “food of the gods” is the trend of the moment: there is a greater interest in chocolate and growing demand for quality artisan products, and the integration of chocolate products in pastry shops and ice cream parlours.
This is how new dedicated places are born that celebrates chocolate as the absolute protagonist. In particular, chocolate is an excellent complimentary product in the winter period, during which the consumption of ice cream is reduced.
This trend will continue throughout 2022, leading to an increasing number of professionals who will try their hand at the world of artisanal chocolate making. And HostMilano could only ask the “King of Chocolate” on this topic: Ernst Knam, Pastry Chef and Maitre Chocolatier.
“Pastry is becoming increasingly innovative by borrowing kitchen techniques and equipment. This is why technology becomes a valuable ally by providing the pastry chef with the tools necessary for his laboratory”, said Knam.
For the king of chocolate, you can never miss the tempering machine in the chocolate shop and the dough sheeter in the pastry shop: thanks to its speed and precision, it gives consistent results regardless of the operator. But the most important thing for the master is the hands; without them, we can do nothing.
Trends for 2022 according to Maitre Chocolatier? “Surely research on raw materials, the reduction of sugar and fat, and the creation of lighter desserts, all to flavour advantage.”
HostMilano is already preparing for the next appointment at Fieramilano from 13 to 17 October 2023. The 43rd edition will showcase all the Horeca supply chains: foodservice equipment, bakery, pizza, pasta, coffee, tea, bars, coffee machines, vending, gelato, pastry, furniture, technology and tableware.
