The tastes of winter: new trends for 2018

The most popular ice cream parlors not only because they are located in the most famous streets in the world, but also because they are recognized as centers of taste and quality. The most sought-after pastry shops in terms of proposals and style. Who said that ice cream isn’t also a “winter” product? Who ever thought that ice cream runs out with the farewell to the warmer months?

Evenings in the most renowned ski and mountain resorts have a truly different flavor if concluded around an ice cream. December and Christmas dinners are perfect when closed with a chocolate cone. The coldest nights take on sweeter aspects with a pistachio cup.

Not so usual in Italy, not so strange in the rest of Europe and the world.

And the tastes? What will be the most sought-after flavors? If real trends are outlined for the summer, it is really difficult to establish the most popular fashions for the winter. After all, this is the season in which the lines for the strong months are launched (the trade fairs between December and January are different, many appointments around Italy, the home of ice cream and the world). We try. This is a vademecum to enrich the marvel of your shop window with the right flavors, even in winter. So that these are not   only transitional seasons.

Let’s say it right away: the reference context seems to be in line with the past seasons: the “without” flavors are on the rise (in line with the growing interest of millennials for quality products), the focus is still on the territoriality of the regional proposals and indeed the local specificity is valued, the “well done” is worth more than the “very different”. In short, the market today requires an artisanal, natural and healthy product that respects food intolerances. And even on this trend line, variety plays its part.

We follow the best

December and January: time of seasonality. Of offers that also change from month to month. From this point of view, social networks, by their nature, lend us a hand, scrolling through the pages of the best ice cream parlors in the world.

More seasonal fruit than chocolate (without exaggerating though), more new flavors than traditional ones, a strong orientation towards salty flavors that blend with sweets, diversified colors with black so fashionable in summer that turns towards lighter shades.

An overview of the most famous ice cream parlors in the world can make your tour really interesting: hunting for the taste that will be most in demand, but above all hunting for the most sense. Because there are very few common denominators, but the thrust is local. Very local.

Look for the right hashtag, trust the best. Also because around the world the predisposition to experiment is much higher (almost always, however, starting from the tradition and quality of Italian products as a basis). Figs, radicchio, pine nuts and so on and so forth: a journey through the Italian regions, unique products that also conquer the world.

Let’s try to follow the chefs: vincotto, almonds, baileys, < strong>persimmons and other special specialties.

On the other side of the fence: pineapple and saffron, rosewater and toasted sesame, Indian tea and kulfi are tastes that have by now a bridge has been created between the East (India and China) and the West (especially the United States) and which could soon also reach Europe with force.

After the summer…

When choosing flavours, there are those who rely on the tradition of the classics out of laziness and those who always choose the same one so as not to make mistakes. But there are also those who like to vary a lot and those who like to change their choice often. That’s why after a hot summer in which “exotic” tastes dominated (lime, ginger, mint, coconut, passion fruit, mango, avocado, all synonymous with freshness and lightness), they could up the classification of tastes for creams such as chocolate, hazelnut and stracciatella, perhaps combined with tropical fruit flavours. Chocolate, licorice, grapefruit: a triangle to bet on.

Also watch out for creativity in the proposed shapes: go beyond the classic cone.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Vegan

It is certainly nothing new. However, gluten-free ice cream has become an extra resource to satisfy customers (celiac and otherwise).
The ingredients for a good “gluten free ice cream are the same as the traditional one: quality raw materials, fresh products and balanced recipes. A few precautions are enough: replace the ingredients containing gluten in some flavors and avoid contamination with the cones at the time of service.

To meet the needs of all consumers even in the winter period, therefore, for example, artisan soy ice cream cannot be missing, a perfect alternative for all those with a sweet tooth ice cream who are intolerant to gluten, lactose or who want to keep the figure.

He has a marked health-conscious inclination. A constantly accelerating trend: dairy free and vegan will soon become highly sought after.

His Majesty the Pistachio

It is among the most chosen flavours, it collects awards around the world, it represents a classic of the artisanal gelato tradition but it is never banal, the quality of a simple recipe that is the result of long experience and attention to every detail but opens up to creations that can also bring together different varieties of the same product. It is probably one of the most chosen flavors in the world today, the only one capable of undermining the “very classic”. His Majesty the Pistachio.

So much in vogue that it can hardly be considered trendy even for the first months of 2018. Perhaps waiting for others to try to undermine its leadership position to next summer.
Also because if you think that pistachio makes you fat, we have to prove you wrong: like all dried fruit, pistachio is able to help lower the cholesterol level in the blood. Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Protects eyes. Contains saturated fats whose properties are able to bring benefits in subjects with dry skin. Facilitates the absorption of iron by the body.

It has antioxidant properties. And much more. Practically perfect for your customers’ “winter” diets.

Kinder flavours

The entry into the ice cream sector of Ferrero has already been announced for 2018, through the launch of the Kinder Ice Cream line, in partnership with Unilever. However, the operation (naturally linked to the packaged ice cream sector) will not concern Italy.

And, then, what better occasion to surprise children and teenagers (that is, what is probably still the majority of ice cream consumers) with a taste in line with the products of the Colossus of Alba. It starts with chocolate, of course. But the nuances in the Ferrero world are many and, who knows, they could also excel among artisan ice creams, perhaps taking advantage of the absence of the brand from the ice cream counter.

Refinement, variety, territoriality and proximity: many different ways to enrich your Facebook jewelry. And to personalize it with your unique style.