Frequent questions
Why is RivaReno’s gelato so creamy?
RivaReno’s is a gelato made fresh daily: to obtain the best freshness we produce maximum 4/5 kg of gelato at a time, many times a day according to the sales volume. Furthermore, we use only selected and high quality ingredients.
What is the secret of your gelato?
At RivaReno gelato production lab we have no secrets! The key elements are the fresh and high quality ingredients selected, the wise combination of the ingredients and the unique and unmistakable recipes from the long experience of one of RivaReno’s founders, an already well-known gelato maker in Emilia.
Do the sorbets contain milk
No, they don’t. The sorbets of the Italian gelato lab RivaReno contain only a very high percentage of fruit (more than 50%), water and sugar. The only exception is the coconut sorbet, which contains some milk proteins.
Are the sorbets made with flavourings and syrups?
The philosophy of the Italian gelato lab RivaReno is based on one single rule: we make sure the quality is always the highest. For this reason our sorbets contain only real fruit.
I am celiac (intolerant to gluten). Do your gelato contains gluten?
Among our customers there are people who are also gluten intolerant and they have never had any problems with our gelato. To be on the safe side, you will find a “book of the ingredients” in our shops. There, flavour after flavour, you will find every piece of information about the possible allergens contained in the flavour you choose. If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to ask our expert sales people for advice: we are sure our gelato made fresh daily will seduce you
I am allergic to nuts. Which flavours contain them?
There are many flavours containing nuts or traces of them in our range. To be safe, we suggest that you read our “book of the ingredients”, which is available in every Italian gelato lab. There you will find which flavours contain nuts.
Does RivaReno’s gelato contain alcohol or liquors?
The flavours Mascarpone, Othello and Zabaglione contain Marsala wine. The Mediterranean custard cream flavour contains Zibibbo, a sweet dessert wine. The flavours Gianduia and Extra Dark Chocolate contain a tiny amount of alcohol. The Orange Chocolate flavour contains Grand Marnier. For further info, we suggest that you read the book of the ingredients: there you will find all the necessary information about the contents of our daily made gelatos.
Have you got any flavours without sugar or with soy?
The choice of the Italian gelato lab RivaReno is to avoid using artificial sweeteners. We have also decided to exclude soy from the ingredients of our gelatos: we think that this product does not allow us to obtain a product with the same quality standards of RivaReno’s products. For our customers intolerant to milk, we have a wide range of fruit flavours and a delicious selection of slushes.
What is the Dutch red cocoa?
It is one of the best quality cocoa available. For our gelato made fresh daily, we use a special mix of African cocoas from Zaire and Ivory Coast, processed by a famous Dutch company.
What is the meaning of Mango Heera?
Heera or Hira is an Indian word, which means “jewel”, “gem”. The “Mango Heera” flavour, produced by our gelato production lab, is made by using Indian mangos and draws inspiration from a traditional Indian drink called mango lassi.
What is the meaning of RivaReno?
The idea to found the Italian gelato lab RivaReno started in 2004 in Bologna. Our recipes come from the best culinary traditions of Emilia. Since Bologna is located on the shores of the river Reno, we decided to pay homage to this city choosing the name RivaReno, which is also the name of a district in the city.
How are your cakes made?
The base of the cakes produced by the ice-cream production lab RivaReno is a fine layer of sponge cake: the rest is daily fresh ice-cream made by RivaReno. You can choose the combination you prefer to stuff your cake.
Why don’t you display your gelato like most of the other gelato shops?
We put our gelato made fresh daily in the carapine gelato containers: it is the best way in the world to preserve the product. The carapina gelato container keeps the perfect humidity level, keeping the right gelato consistency. It also makes sure the hygiene standards are high.
I would like to buy a box of gelato. How long does it stay outside the freezer?
If kept in the Styrofoam box, the gelato made fresh daily lasts around 45 minutes outside freezer. If you need to travel for a long time, we have a special blast chiller, which brings the gelato to a temperature of 40 degrees below zero. In this way its duration outside the freezer is many hours longer, proportionally to the blast chilling time. You need to inform the staff in advance in order to program the blast chilling process.
How long before eating it should I take the gelato out of the freezer?
Being a gelato made fresh daily, it should be taken out of the freezer and kept outside, without lid, for at least 15 minutes before eating it. In this way it reaches the right temperature and the perfect consistency.mperature.
Why isn’t the mint slush green?
In the gelato production lab RivaReno we do not use any preservatives or artificial colorants. Our mint slush is natural and has no chemical additives: we make it with an essential oil extracted from mint leaves which does not have a green color.
When I order the flavour Alice in the cup or in the cone you do not make me pay for the Gianduia cream. Why must I pay the Gianduia cream separately if I take the flavour Alice away?
Our Gianduia cream is very special and costly. When we prepare the cone or the cup, we use a small quantity of it. The cup of Gianduia to take away weighs approximately 80 gr: if we put the Gianduia cream directly in the box with the cold gelato, it would instantly become hard and therefore will lose the Gianduia’s creamy quality.
Why is it said that RivaReno ice-cream has no anti-oxidants, hydrogenated fats, mono and diglycerids, propylene glycol and propanediol? What are they? Are they harmful?
We state it proudly: at our ice-cream production lab RivaReno not only do we produce a delicious ice-cream, but it is also “healthy”. Many commonly used food additives in our industry have no natural origins. Such additives are used to avoid the ice-cream to melt quickly and to add more air, so that the ice-cream cone seems artificially bigger. We, at the Italian ice-cream lab RivaReno, prefer to avoid such tricks and shortcuts. We have chosen to have higher costs, therefore to spend more in research and lab experiments to make sure our product is really good and healthy.
Why during the weekend are there flavours that I cannot find during the week?
This happens only in winter, when the sales tend to decrease. During the weekdays at the Italian gelato lab RivaReno we sell less gelato. Being a gelato made fresh daily, to make sure it is always fresh, we are forced to reduce the number of flavours. During the weekend sales increase, therefore we can increase the number of flavours on offer.
Why is a lot of emphasis placed on milk from Cuneo? What advantages does it offer the consumer?
We only use Alpine milk from the Cuneo area in order always offer the best possible quality. Milk from this area has always been sought after for its excellent quality and authenticity. The cold climate and special diet of cows create a product that is very rich in milk protein, which is an excellent nutritional element that allows gelato to set better without the use of chemicals such as mono and diglycerides, propanediol or propylene glycol.
Why is it said that RivaReno gelato has no anti-oxidants, hydrogenated fats, mono and diglycerids, propylene glycol and propanediol? What are they? Are they harmful?
We state it proudly: at our gelato production lab RivaReno not only do we produce a delicious gelato, but it is also “healthy”. Many commonly used food additives in ice cream industry are not natural. Artifical additives are used to prevent the gelato from melting quickly and to add more air it, so that the gelato in the cones seems bigger. We, at the Italian gelato lab RivaReno, prefer to avoid such tricks and shortcuts. We have chosen to have higher costs, therefore to spend more in research and lab experiments to make sure our products are devoid of any artificial additives and therefore really good and healthy.