L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16 2023 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano W hile tour- i n g i n N e w Zealand in 2 0 1 8 , C h e r t o o k a b r e a k f r o m rehearsing and decided to go get some of her favorite treat, g e l a t o . S o s h e c h o s e T h e Giapo Store in Auckland, an ice cream shop owned by an Italian gelato-maker, Giapo Grazioli. The 77-year-old singer ordered a chocolate ice cream fix, which she later described on Twitter as the " b e s t , m o s t a s t o n i s h i n g , astounding" ice cream the singer had ever tasted. She was in fact so blown away by the deliciousness of the fla- vors, that she reached out to Giapo and asked him to set up a shop with her in Los Angeles, where she lives. Five years later the project came to light in the form of an ice cream truck that deliv- ers high quality and unique flavors around the city. The n a m e o f t h i s s p e c i a l gelato? Cherlato. "It's like two worlds meeting. It's the collaboration between my own experience in this specif- ic field and Cher's own love of the sweet treat," Giapo Grazi- oli tells us when we meet him during the opening party for C h e r l a t o a t t h e F a i r m o n t Hotel in Santa Monica. "He is a wizard who cre- ates heaven on a cone," Cher wrote about Giapo on social media. "Giapo is truly the Michaelangelo of gelato. His gelato gets you out of bed at midnight. It's been a long five-year process getting my favorite gelato home to LA, but I can say it's well worth it." Giapo Grazioli was born and raised in Torre del Greco, Naples but now lives in Mis- sion Bay in Auckland with his wife Annarosa and his two c h i l d r e n , F r a n c e s c a a n d Pasquale. Giapo, Cher said: "It's no secret that I absolute- l y l o v e i c e c r e a m a n d g e l a t o . W h e n I t a s t e d Giapo's gelato while on tour in Auckland, New Zealand, it was the best I ' d e v e r h a d . " W h a t makes your gelato so spe- cial? My goal has always been to change the way people expe- rience ice cream through art, science, and technology. I have been making gelato for 14 years, after graduating in Applied Science at Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand. What are the flavors you and Cher have cho- sen? The flavors are Snap Out of It! Kefir and Cardamom, Breakfast at Cher's, Coffee & Donuts, Chocolate XO Cher, Stracciatella Giapo's Way, L A , I L o v e Y o u ( w h i c h i s vegan), and SoCal's Coldest Avocado on Toast, which fea- tures avocado and bread- crumbs. What was the process behind choosing the best ones? We experimented with a v a s t n u m b e r o f g e l a t o recipes, reaching hundreds in total. From there, we careful- ly narrowed down the selec- tion to a group of ten, and eventually, we selected the final assortment, which con- sisted of six amazing flavors. A n d t h e n w h a t h a p - pened? I moved to Los Angeles in January 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. New Zealand, where I was from, would not allow me to return to the country except through a lottery for the few quaran- tine hotels available. I left my family behind not knowing when I would see them again. It was not easy. We met in Malibu, at Cher's house, and we got to talk for hours, there were other friends there, and I felt comfortable with her right away. What impressed you most about her? There are so many memo- ries to mention, but the thing that fascinated me the most is that she is really an expert, she studied the subject of ice c r e a m , t h e t e x t u r e s , t h e recipes, and the ingredients, a n d s h e h a s b e e n v e r y involved with me throughout the process. H o w d i d y o u r e a c t when she proposed to you to found Cherlato with her? I was incredulous. I didn't expect that Cher, one of the most famous artists in the world, would ask me to col- laborate with her. At first, I was a little scared. I wasn't sure if I was up to the task. B u t C h e r r e a s s u r e d m e , telling me that she believed in me and my talent and that my ice cream would succeed. Besides being busi- ness partners, have you also become friends? Certainly. To me, Cher is a friend before being a busi- n e s s p a r t n e r . W e h a v e i m m e n s e r e s p e c t f o r o u r roles in the business, and we also respect each other out- side of work. We often talk about ideas and things out- side of business but we are united by our passion for ice cream. Can you tell us some a n e c d o t e s a b o u t y o u r relationship? Once we were testing a new recipe for gingerbread ice cream. Cher was not con- vinced, and she wanted the ice cream to be perfect. We were sitting at her kitchen table, and I had just made gingerbread ice cream. She said, "I'm not convinced." "What's wrong?" I asked. "Something is missing," she said. "I don't know what it is." We tried adding more ginger to the recipe but it didn't help. Finally, Cher said, "Let's try a pinch of cin- namon." I laughed. "A pinch of cinnamon?" "Yes," she replied. "I've experimented with this in the past, and it works." We added the pinch of cinnamon and tasted it again. Cher exclaimed, "Here w e g o ! " T h e f l a v o r w a s indeed perfect. C h e r h a s h a d a v e r y l o n g a n d s u c c e s s f u l career. Is there anything you have learned from her, any lessons she has passed on to you? S h e i s a d e t e r m i n e d woman with a clear vision of what she wants, and she has d e m o n s t r a t e d t h a t w i t h Cherlato as well. She taught me that it is important to be determined and to pursue your dreams. From her, I learned that age is just a reg- istry fact and that hard work should not scare anyone. She is an inspiration to me, and I am grateful to have her as a mentor and friend. Have you always had a p a s s i o n f o r i c e c r e a m a n d i f s o , w h e n d i d i t come about? I've always had a passion for ice cream because I've always eaten it. At one point my wife and I wanted to open a restaurant, but we didn't have all the money for rent and we just rented a smaller place, which later became our GIAPO ice cream shop in Auckland, New Zealand. What is the particular- ity of your ice cream? The particularity of my ice cream is that it is an expres- sion of my soul and my free- dom. Mine is not strictly an Italian ice cream, because it is made with the best ingredi- ents that can be found local- ly, so either in New Zealand or California, but it always has my artistic touch. W h a t d o y o u e n j o y most about creating ice cream? I'm not afraid to experi- ment with new flavors and combinations. I think this is the best way to create origi- n a l a n d s u r p r i s i n g i c e creams. I also value artistic presentation. I don't just serve the ice cream in cups or cones. I always try to create presentations that are a treat for the eyes and the palate. I believe these aspects make my ice cream a unique and memorable experience. Cher and Italian gelato maker team up for a new gelato line SILVIA NITTOLI Giapo Grazioli preparing ingredients to make gelato (Photo courtesy of: Giapo Grazioli) LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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