The charming Maurizio from Buonissimo is a man on a mission. His goal: to teach Melburnians how to recognise and appreciate true artisan gelati. Gelati made in small batches using traditional Italian recipes. Just like you would find at the very best gelaterie in Italy.
Well qualified for this task, Maurizio is Australia’s only representative in the Federazione Italiana Gelatieri (FIG), the Italian Federation of Gelato Makers. And he is passionate about maintaining artisan traditions.
Buonissimo’s mobile van and gelato cart pop up at various events, but during the lockdown that was put on hold. Over the past few months, Maurizio’s gelati has only been available online.
Everything is made from scratch, based on real fruit and premium ingredients. Lemons from Italy, other seasonal fruit from local sources, Iranian pistachios and Piedmontese hazelnuts. Chocolate is single origin, from Ecuador and Peru. No pre-mixes, no artificial colourings, flavourings, preservatives or emulsifiers. Not too much sugar and churned slowly, resulting in a dense and creamy texture. Then stored in pozzetti – the traditional way to keep gelati at an ideal temperature, reducing exposure to the air and preserving freshness.
Most of Buonissimo’s flavours are vegan friendly. Although the range of flavours is quite modest, every single recipe has been carefully crafted for maximum wow factor.
We caught up with Buonissimo’s mobile van at a couple of pre-lockdown events. Adored the gelati, so we were straight off to Forest Hill Chase as soon as we discovered Buonissimo would be there, serving gelati from its bicycle cart, each weekend until Christmas.
The cart holds only a handful of flavours, but every one of them is gorgeous. Served in cups or cones.
I picked two sorbetti – lemon and mango, two of my favourite fruits. I love Buonissimo’s lemon sorbetto – made from Sicilian lemons – and the mango sorbetto was just as good. Fresh fruity flavours, great texture and good mouth feel.
Berries and chocolate are always a great pairing. Benny matched mixed berry sorbetto, made from fresh fruit, with chocolate gelato, the latter generously studded with chocolate pieces. And served in a chocolate cone. Magnificent.
Gelido was the guest of Buonissimo.
Outstanding traditional Italian-style gelati, made using true artisan techniques. Catch Buonissimo at Forest Hill Chase every weekend until Christmas, and follow Buonissimo on social media to discover other locations. The gelati can also be ordered online and Buonissimo can be hired for events.
Buonissimo
Level 2, Forest Hill Chase (every weekend until Christmas)
270 Canterbury Road
Forest Hill Vic 3131
T: 0435 370 522
W: www.sorbetteriabuonissimo.com
Fantastic article. I know Maurizio is passionate about gelato. When our group went to Italy, Maurizio took us to several places to get gelato. Delicious!
What a wonderful experience! Every time I talk with Maurizio I learn more and more about gelato. Many thanks for your comments!