Gelato stories
Laurent Dedion and the Sotto le Logge gelateria: a French touch at the Gelato Festival in Viareggio
In the summer of 2015 the Gelato Festival stopped in Viareggio, and among the protagonists covered by this column was a gelato maker with an unusual path: Laurent Dedion, French by origin, owner of the gelateria Sotto le Logge. He entered the competition with a flavor bearing a bilingual name, “Amanda”: a pralined-almond gelato scented with Amaretto liqueur and rippled with sour cherry, christened by joining amande, French for almond, and amarena.
From sweet-toothed customer to gelato maker
Dedion said he had arrived in Viareggio in 2013 and become a gelato maker that very year, after a working life in retail in contact with the public. A self-declared sweet tooth, fond of Belgian chocolate and of gelato “as a customer”, he had closed the technical gap by taking courses at the Carpigiani University in Anzola dell'Emilia. In France, he observed, gelato is still considered a luxury product; in Italy he had found the trade that let him turn an idea or a recipe he had read into an actual gelato. His gelateria sits in Viareggio's pedestrian market, under the arcade that gives it its name, among fruit stalls and fishmongers: premises taken over in early 2013 and renovated in pastel colors, with French furnishings and decorations. To the cold specialties the owner had added sweet and savory crêpes in the Breton tradition, learned on a course in northern France.
A display that speaks two languages
The display described in the interview counted 14 flavors on weekly rotation. On one side the indispensable classics: PGI hazelnut and pistachio from a small Turin company, Pariani, and milk and dark chocolate on a base of French Barry cocoa, the dark version sweetened with organic sulla or wildflower honey. On the other, the flavors that brought France to the cup: anise inspired by pastis, paired with strawberry or pear; speculoos made with real crushed Belgian biscuits; the Christmas pain d'épices; the Merveilleux of meringue and chocolate; salted-butter caramel of the Breton school; a “French stracciatella” of vanilla-scented fior di latte rippled with artisanal 70 percent dark chocolate. The fruit flavors followed the seasons, always with at least 50 percent fruit, from melon to figs. A small bridge between two cultures of sweetness, planted in the heart of seaside Tuscany.
Italian gelato and French glace, two schools compared
The path of a Frenchman who chooses Italy to make gelato also tells the story of the difference between two traditions. Classic French glace is often born from a crème anglaise base, rich in yolks and cream, and is served colder and denser: a product of the pastry shop and the restaurant, historically perceived as a luxury for special occasions. Italian gelato works instead with less fat and more milk, incorporates less air than industrial products and is served at a slightly higher temperature, which lets the aromas emerge sooner: it is an everyday pleasure, made for strolling, with the gelateria as a neighborhood institution. Neither school is superior in absolute terms, and cross-pollination is ever more frequent: Italian nut pastes with French techniques, pastry flavors from across the Alps churned the Italian way. A display that speaks two languages, in this sense, is less an exception than a vanguard.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about gelato and the French tradition
What is the difference between Italian gelato and French glace?
Classic French glace often starts from a crème anglaise rich in yolks and cream, is fattier and is served colder and denser, with the status of a pastry-shop dessert. Italian gelato uses more milk and less fat, is churned with little air and served slightly less cold, so the aromas emerge sooner. In France it remains an occasional treat, in Italy a daily ritual.
What is speculoos?
It is the spiced biscuit typical of Belgium and the Netherlands, traditionally tied to the feast of Saint Nicholas: a crunchy, caramelized dough fragrant with cinnamon and baking spices. Ground into a cream or crushed, it has become a gelato flavor and a much-loved filling across northern Europe. Its taste recalls butter biscuit with a warm note of cinnamon and brown sugar.
What is salted-butter caramel?
It is a specialty born in Brittany, where the traditional butter is salted: the caramel is enriched with butter and a touch of salt that tempers its sweetness and lengthens its flavor. The most celebrated version is tied to the town of Quiberon and the work of Breton master caramel makers. In the gelateria it has become a modern classic, loved precisely for its balance of sweet and savory.
What does anise gelato pair with?
Anise is a bold aroma that calls for fresh, fruity companions: pear and strawberry are proven pairings, because their delicate sweetness softens the balsamic note. Citrus fruits also work, adding acidity, as does ripe fig. Better to avoid other strong aromatic flavors such as licorice or coffee, which would compete instead of playing the supporting role.