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Art & Science of Gelato

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 2018: April 22–28 | June 10–16 | July 8–14 | September 10–16 | October 14–20 (special Christmas edition: learn to make panettone using sourdough starter)

Availability: Apr 5 places | Jun 6 places | Jul 6 places | Sep 6 places | Oct 6 places

Sign up for our newsletter to receive updates
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Professional development course designed and led by Mirko Tognetti of Cremeria Opera Naturali per Gusto, Lucca

Learn the secrets of Italian gelato with one of the top gelatieri in Italy. Mirko Tognetti describes himself as utterly pazzo because he goes to extremes to discover the principles of making perfect gelato and sorbetto. You'll explore the anti-freeze and sweetening powers of different sugars, the theory and practice of balancing sugars and fats, how to use natural stabilisers and to develop your own recipes. Sourcing the best natural raw ingredients is labour intensive, but Mirko has succeeded because of his genius for time and motion efficiency, his keen eye for the market and his collaborative exchanges with the other twenty crazy gelatieri in Italy. He wants more excellent natural gelato in the world, and since he can’t make it all himself, he’s going to teach you how to do it and how to make it financially successful for your restaurant, dairy or gelateria.

The course takes place near Pisa and is taught in English. Maximum course size: 6 people (3-day course), 3 people (2-day add on).

​Click on tabs below for more information
To request a booking form email info@sapori-e-saperi.com

Course at a glance
Course dates include arrival and departure days

Option 1: Three-day course (maximum 6 people)
For chefs, caterers, dairy farmers and keen amateurs who want to develop their own gelato recipes and maintain a range of natural flavours in optimum condition

Option 2: Two-day add on (total five days, maximum 3 people)
For chefs who want more practice developing recipes and for people who want to launch a gelateria, gelateria owners and staff seeking to improve their product and efficiency

Venue
Laboratory fully equipped for making gelato at showroom of Carpigiani gelato equipment manufacturer, Ospedeletto (Pisa)
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Principles of the course
During this course you learn to make natural, artisan gelato by a scientific method
  • artisan means
    • based on knowledge transmitted through generations
    • skills that require practice
    • human judgement and intervention
  • natural means
    • original ingredients not altered chemically
    • original ingredients not combined or altered to produce ready-made pre-mixes or flavourings
    • allowed: physical process such as milling to produce carob powder
    • allowed: treatment to make edible such as cocoa (but not Dutch process)
  • scientific means
    • research to establish essential elements of tradition
    • tradition codified to allow it to be passed more reliably to others


Sunday
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Arrival at Pisa airport or train station no later than 4.00 pm.


Transfer to Agriturismo La Pisana, Colignola (Pisa)

Welcome dinner at Il Conventino in the Pisan Mountains

Monday

Session 1: Introduction and history of gelato, balancing ingredients (sorbetto), properties of fruits, properties of sugars, sugar syrup

Session 2: Hands on in laboratory

​Dinner at Il Granaio, Coltano

Tuesday

Session 3: Equipment for making gelato, balancing ingredients (gelato), direct and indirect production, recipe development

Session 4: Hands on in laboratory

Dinner at Pizzeria La Panacea, Ghezzano

Wednesday

Session 5: Gourmet and savoury gelato: theory of balancing ingredients, recipe development, sugar substitution

Visit Cremeria Opera, Lucca

Session 6: Hands on in laboratory
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Dinner at Re di Puglia, Coltano

Thursday

Three-day course participants depart: Transfer to Pisa airport and station departing at 9 am to arrive at airport at 9.30 am and onward to station to arrive at about 10.00 am

Session 7: Review of course, practice recipe development with new flavourings, ingredient substitution, sauces, pastes and flavoured sugars

Session 8: Hands on in laboratory

Dinner at Osteria di Ceppato, Vicopisano

Friday

Session 9: Work experience at Cremeria Opera, laboratory layout, business plans, location and marketing

Session 8: Real-time production in laboratory

Farewell dinner at Da Gino, Marina di Pisa

Saturday

Transfer to Pisa airport and station departing at 9 am to arrive at airport at 9.30 am and onward to station to arrive at about 10.00 am.

For more details, please click Course tab above
To request a booking form email info@sapori-e-saperi.com
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Sunday

Arrival at Pisa airport or train station and transfer to Agriturismo La Pisana, Colignola (Pisa)

One pick up only around 4.00 pm or if everyone arrives earlier, at a time to suit the majority

Welcome dinner at Il Conventino in the Pisan Mountains

Accommodation: La Pisana | Meals: Dinner


Monday

Breakfast at agriturismo and transfer to laboratory

Session 1
  • Introduction and history of gelato
  • Sorbetto: characteristics of fruits
  • Balancing ingredients and use of recipe table
  • Stabilisers
  • Characteristics of sugars
  • Granita
  • Sugar syrup: implementation and shelf life

Lunch at nearby bar

Session 2
  • Hands on in laboratory: sorbetto direct method and sugar syrup

Dinner at Il Granaio, Coltano Radio

Accommodation: La Pisana | Meals: breakfast, dinner


Tuesday

Session 3
  • Essential equipment for restaurants, caterers and gelaterias
  • Balancing ingredients: gelato
  • Characteristics of basic ingredients and flavourings
  • Direct production: fiordilatte
  • Indirect production: unbalanced white base and egg sauce (how to save time without compromising quality)
  • Recipe development: six recipes

Lunch at nearby bar

Session 4
  • Hands on in laboratory: gelato direct method, white base, more sorbetto recipes

Dinner at Pizzeria La Panacea, Ghezzano

Accommodation: La Pisana | Meals: breakfast, dinner


Wednesday

Session 5: Gourmet & savoury gelato
  • Theory of balancing ingredients
  • Recipe development
  • Technique of sugar substitution

Visit Cremeria Opera, Lucca

Lunch at Cremeria

Session 6
  • Hands on in laboratory: gelato by indirect method, gourmet and savoury gelato
  • Presentation of certificates for 3-day course

Dinner at Re di Puglia, Coltano

Accommodation: La Pisana | Meals: breakfast, dinner


Thursday

​Three-day course participants depart: Transfer to Pisa airport and station departing at 9 am to arrive at airport at 9.30 am and onward to station to arrive at about 10.00 am

Session 7
  • Review of course so far
  • Practice recipe development with new flavourings
  • Ingredient substitution
  • Sauces, pastes and flavoured sugars

Lunch at nearby bar

Session 8
  • Hands on in laboratory: hone skills for producing various flavours

Dinner at Osteria di Ceppato, Vicopisano

Accommodation: La Pisana | Meals: breakfast, dinner

Friday

Session 9
  • Work experience at Cremeria Opera
  • Location and marketing
  • Efficient layout of equipment
  • Observe staff
  • Production in real time

Lunch at Cremeria Opera

Session 8
  • Business plans
  • Hands on in laboratory: more recipes
  • Presentation of certificates for 5-day course

Farewell dinner at Da Gino, Marina di Pisa

Accommodation: La Pisana | Meals: breakfast, dinner

Saturday

Transfer to Pisa airport and station departing at 9 am to arrive at airport at 9.30 am and onward to station to arrive at about 10.00 am.

To request a booking form email info@sapori-e-saperi.com
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Course Leader


Mirko Tognetti

​By the 1950s the tradition of artisan handmade gelato had almost been lost in Italy. Mirko didn’t learn his art from his parents and grandparents. He started in a huge warehouse scheduling the efficient dispatch of goods. When the firm ran into trouble and made its employees redundant, Mirko was free to take up something closer to his heart. He visited a gelato trade fair only to be profoundly disillusioned. The stands were invaded by brightly coloured gelato and producers of semi-worked mixes which allowed anyone to make gelato with little effort and zero knowledge. Mirko began to think there was a better gelato waiting to be rediscovered. He swore that if he ever took up this craft, he would do everything from scratch and never, ever open a single packet. After two and a half years pursuing a formative path toward his goal, he was convinced he had arrived and could call himself a gelatiere. Training, imagination and sharing. These are the fundamental characteristics of the gelatiere. Now he hopes to share with aspiring gelatieri what he has discovered for himself and what others have shared with him.
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In 2013 Mirko opened the Cremeria Opera Naturali per Gusto in Lucca. According to the prestigious Gambero Rosso gourmet magazine, it’s the third best in Italy.
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Course Organiser


Erica Jarman

Following Heather’s careers as archaeologist, orchestra and artist manager and chef, she Italianised her name to Erica and came to Lucca to pursue her passion for traditional artisan food. Her tours, inspired by her infectious curiosity, open captivating new worlds to her guests.
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Agriturismo La Pisana, Colignola (Pisa)

​A working farm within minutes of the historic centre of Pisa, the beach, the thermal springs of San Giuliano and the Pisan Mountains. The 18th-century renovated farmhouse retains period features while providing modern conveniences and elegant period furnishings. Swimming pool, wifi, home-baked cakes for breakfast.
http://www.lapisana.it/
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​Price

Chef’s course (3 days): €1250 (Euros) per person (maximum 6 people)
​
Gelateria course (5 days): €2400 / person (extra 2 days: maximum 3 people) 

Includes

Chef’s course
4 nights welcoming, relaxing accommodation, en suite bathrooms

Local ground transportation for 5 days

Daily continental breakfast, 4 dinners

Gelateria course
6 nights welcoming, relaxing accommodation, en suite bathrooms

Local ground transportation for 7 days

Daily continental breakfast, 6 dinners

Both courses
Course lectures and sessions with gelatiere, course notes

Does not include

Airfares

Travel and cancellation insurance

Lunches in bar near course venue

Wine and drinks other than those served with meals, additional meals

Personal expenses such as telephone, mini-bar, etc.


Meeting points

Where: Pisa airport, Pisa Centrale station
When: not later than 4.00 pm
If everyone arrives earlier, we'll pick you up as soon as everyone is there.

Recommended international travel:

Nearest airport: Pisa
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Airlines from UK: British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair

Airlines from other countries: You may have to fly to another European city and take a connecting flight or train to Pisa Centrale. There are good low-cost flights from many European cities. There are better train connections from Roma Termini (about 3.5 hrs) than from Milan.
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If you need to travel at another time, a taxi can be arranged at your own expense.


Departure points

Where: Pisa airport, Pisa Centrale station
When: Thursday (chefs): no earlier than 10.30 am; Saturday (gelateria): no earlier than 10.30 am

If you need to travel at another time, a taxi can be arranged at your own expense.


Dress

Informal. Jeans are acceptable everywhere.


Weather

Check this website: https://www.ilmeteo.it/meteo/provincia-PI
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Itinerary is subject to change if necessary due to weather or agricultural conditions or other events outside our control.

​To request a booking form email info@sapori-e-saperi.com
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The course is very intense with lots of information about ingredients and how to balance them, so be ready to take lots of notes! But once we were able to apply the knowledge to the method, everything came together beautifully. I returned to the restaurant full of enthusiasm for natural gelato and with the knowledge and confidence to help produce a business plan and secure a financial backer for a new gelateria.
 
Samantha Nipps, sous-chef, La Tavola Grandview, Ohio, USA, Art & Science of Gelato (5 day), December 2017

The knowledge and the skills I acquired in the 3 days course are helping me to make gelato at my restaurant. Also I’m saving money on all the conservatives that I read about that makes gelato as the perfect one. Now after the course I know definitely that the real gelato, the one that they call in Italy ‘’Natural Gelato'' is 100% pure with out any industrial chemicals. In addition, in those days as in other courses offered by Sapori & Saperi all the meals and pick up and travels are included in the price in which case you just need to come to the airport or train station and not think about anything except of studying and enjoying. Sapori & Saperi makes the study into a joy that you feel like on a vacation and not like in school. I’ve already taken two courses with Sapori & Saperi and I definitely will take more courses in the future.
 
Andrey Kravchenko, chef, Israel, Gelato Course (3 day), December 2017

Mirko is an amazing teacher and gelatiere. I would recommend this class to anyone who loves gelato and would like a different perspective on the artisan process. It is amazing that Mirko is willing to share his skill and knowledge with others. I consider myself lucky to have been taught by a great artisan like Mirko. 
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Will Langlois, chef, USA, Gelato Course for Chefs (one day), July 2016 

This evening I made fiordilatte again, and it is the best gelato I have ever made. It is perfect in every way. Simply knowing how to make it is worth the price of our entire trip to Italy.

DM, keen amateur, USA, 3-hr gelato lesson, July 2017

What participants say about our salumi course
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I have to say that this was one of the best training I have had in my whole career (either as a butcher and also as a Geologist). Theory, tradition and practice has been explained in depth with hands on the job and plenty of Italian joy. I strongly recommend this training for any enthusiast of the salumi art.

David Contreras, Romania, Advanced Salumi Course, March 201

Thank you for your tireless efforts in making sure that I got the most out of the course.
Thank you for handpicking the most talented and genuine artisans for me to learn from.
Thank you for going out of your way for me to get spices.
Thank you for one of the most memorable and fulfilling experiences of my life.
​

Vahe Jr Seraydarian, chef, Lebanon, Advanced Salumi Course, February 2017

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      • Celebrating Sardinia
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      • Tastes & Textiles: Hanging by a Thread
      • Tastes & Textiles: Wine to Dye For
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    • Personalised Adventures
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    • Enquiry
    • Booking Conditions
  • What people say
  • Gallery
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