In Philadelphia it’s called Italian Water Ice,
In New York- Italian Ice,
In Alabama- Greek Ice,
In Massachusetts- Slush,
In Hawaii - Shaved Ice
In fancy restaurants- sorbet,
In Amusement Theme Parks- Frozen Lemonade (even if it's a different flavor).
There are 3 Types of Italian Ice:
1- Basic recipe PLUS fresh fruit. Just throw frozen fruit into your batch machine with your other ingredients. Be careful because the higher liquid content from certain fruits may demand recipe adjustments. You may also need to add an additional flavoring depending on the type of fruit used.
2 - Basic recipe using a Flavor Base. Bases provide more stability in the consistency of the final product, and are great for hard-to-produce flavors like the popular Mango. Bases also provide dependable flavor without a lot of fuss.
3 - Basic recipe using only an Extract or flavor Concentrate. Extracts are usually reserved for fruit flavors like Watermelon or Honey Dew, or produced flavors like Cotton Candy or Bubble Gum.
The demand for certain Italian Ice flavors varies based on neighborhoods. Let’s use New York as an example.
In NYC Little Italy, the most demanded flavor is Lemon, in Harlem the list includes Grape & Cherry, at the Hispanic Day Parade on 5th Avenue, coconut based ices are the hottest, in the Jewish community in Riverdale the choice would be Chocolate. This example can apply anywhere.
Business Tip - Know your customers before you turn on your batch freezers!
Gil's Wholesale stocks a huge selection of syrups & bases to make your own Italian Ice, including a gourmet private label line for unique flavors without the cost of new product development.
We also carry a huge selection of waffle & cake cones, rainbow sprinkles, crushed fruit & candy toppings, chocolate & peanut butter syrups, flavored bases, nuts, cherries, and all of the paper products, cups, spoons & buckets, you will ever need to run a successful Ice Cream or Italian Ice business!
Ask about our Consulting Service - over 38 years of expertise in helping you maximize your sales potential. Visit us at: www.GilsWholesale.com