Interview with Gianfranco Buccafurni
Experience and tradition put at the service of research and innovation to give life to what is a unique product. The ice cream maker Gianfranco Buccafurni, who chose the technology for his place, tells us how it all began and how “the Kingdom of Gelato”, a renowned Calabrian ice cream shop, was born.
Yours is an expert and wise hand, can you briefly tell us where your story starts from?
Our story began way back in 1937 when grandfather Giovan Battista, inside his water mill, produced flours and starches for the renowned Calabrian and Sicilian pastry shops. Hence the idea, after a few years, of opening the first family ice cream shop, managed for a very long time by my 90 year old and working mother. So as you can imagine my story starts from behind the counter, many years ago.
You were awarded as “Expert and guarantor of traditions and artisan gelato in the world” at SIGEP in Rimini 2018: how important are these awards to you?
Surely the awards stimulate you to do better and to compare yourself with other people, other methods, other realities. Recognition, however, must correspond to reality: the right response to those who enter a place honored by illustrious awards and expect to find what they can’t find elsewhere, i.e. professionalism, competence and exaggerated quality of ingredients.
How do you see Italian ice cream in the world, what role can it play?
With the right denomination and the correct setting, Italian ice cream can and in many cases is already the ambassador of Made in Italy in the world.
Experience and tradition, with an eye towards constant research and innovation: these are the guiding principles of FB Showcases, which you have chosen for your new venue. What role do technology and innovation play in a traditional ice cream shop?
Technology and innovation walk hand in hand with the new frontiers of ice cream which, fortunately, can return to ancient flavors also thanks to the use of modern technologies.
The “Cremosity” is the main peculiarity of your ice cream: what are the secrets to producing a creamy ice cream?
Over the years the continuous research and the continuous exploration of noble ingredients – such as cream, the yolk of fresh eggs, raw and naturally certified Sila milk and olive oil – have allowed us to reach a very high level of creaminess of our ice cream, lasting over time.
The word “art” is hidden in the term “artisan”: art is the ability to express something through a work. In your opinion, what does the art of artisan gelato consist of?
The craftsman is not a mixer of pre-packaged and pre-weighed ingredients. The craftsman is the one who creates the recipe, the product, the new taste and the new ingredient. All this to create the unique, inimitable and original recipe.
A quality product needs to be exalted, stored and displayed in the right way. Can you tell us the reasons that led you to choose FB Showcases products for your new venue?
The very hot Calabrian summers put a very creamy product like ours to the test, which needs constant and strong cold. In this sense, the Fb Showcases windows guarantee an excellent temperature that does not abandon you during work, as well as an impetuous exposure to our creations.
The “Virna” showcase you have chosen guarantees elegance without excesses and extravagance: do you find it in line with the taste of your ice cream?
The “Virna” showcase was chosen by me precisely for its characteristics of elegance, refinement and visibility of the product, but above all for its technology and cold power that never leaves you.
Choosing the best showcase is a fundamental aspect for an ice cream maker. What factors influenced your choice?
All gelato makers want a better showcase that enhances and preserves their creations.
How did the tastes of the area, in your case Calabria, influence the choices regarding the products and furnishings of your restaurant?
The continuous research on local products often leads to strange culinary pairing rituals such as fiordilatte with Tropea onion jam, pecorino and nduja, caciocavallo and rosemary, chocolate with bergamot pepper and dried figs immersed in a huge and spectacular display window surrounded by a tile mosaic in full harmony with the landscape and the surrounding hill.