“I was invited to Eurochocolate and told to bring a chocolate gelato. At which point, I asked myself: what should we do? What shouldn’t we do?”
This is the beginning of the story told by Palmiro Bruschi, a master gelato maker at the Gelatiera Ghinoni, a historical family business which over the years has become a reference point for artisan gelato enthusiasts.
To mark the occasion, Palmiro decide to pay tribute to his birthplace, the Valtiberina , an area whose history and economy has been tied to the cultivation of tobacco for generations. Vast tracts of land, work, fatigue and traditions that have contributed to defining the identity of an entire community.
This reflection sparked a novel idea.
“When you think about tobacco, especially in certain social contexts, chocolate immediately comes to mind. I then began to imagine how I could incorporate this ingredient into a gelato.”
The idea was to treat a dried tobacco leaf like a tea leaf or herbal infusion. As a non-smoker, Palmiro’s approach to tobacco was driven by curiosity and respect; the desire to experiment with its aromatic potential.
He soon made a discovery: simply leaving the dried leaf to steep in milk or water for about one minute was sufficient to extract its most promising properties. After removing the leaf, the flavoured liquid then formed the basis for preparing the gelato.
A simple procedure, similar to that of an everyday teabag, but capable of producing unexpected fragrances and nuances.
When the flavour was presented at Eurochocolate, the word ‘tobacco’ inevitably piqued curiosity and the scratching of heads. To lighten the tone and play on collective imagination, Palmiro promoted his gelato with an ironic slogan in Italian:
“Piace gravemente alla salute” (“Seriously pleases your health”).
A nod to the well-known warning on the back of cigarette packs in Italy (“Nuoce gravemente alla salute” – “Seriously harms your health”).
The result was Palmiro Bruschi’s chocolate and tobacco-flavoured gelato: an original creation that we also had the pleasure of tasting at SpazioISA. On the palate, delicate, smoked, elegant, but never overpowering notes emerge, perfectly offset by the intensity of premium quality dark chocolate.
A surprising flavour that tells the story of a region, its history, and the work of the people who built it.
And we can confirm: it seriously pleases your health.