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An ice cream with all the properties and natural colour of mint
Mint has many health benefits, but in food it’s often accompanied by artificial green colourings. Instead, Galatea has created a green mint ice cream in a completely natural way.
If we were asked to describe the characteristics of mint, the first to come to mind would probably be that it’s refreshing. And the second? Aromatic. This is especially true if we think of mint in a beverage or in food. But what else? With their amazing greenness and wonderful scent, mint leaves not only give us pleasant sensations but also help our bodies in many different ways.
Mint and its properties
When talking about mint what is generally being referred to is peppermint, which has the strongest scent because of its higher menthol content and is also the most common type. Among the numerous benefits it boasts, mint can help soothe itchy skin and improve bad breath thanks to its cleansing properties. This medicinal plant also helps fight mucosal inflammations (acting as a decongestant and aiding our respiratory system in case of coughs and colds), neuralgic pains such as headaches and rheumatic pains. Peppermint tea is also perfect for fighting nausea and improving digestion.
Mint from Piedmont
Originating from the European continent, mint is grown all over the world and one of the most important productive regions is in the Italian region of Piedmont, centred around the village of Pancalieri between Turin and Pinerolo, where every summer the air carries an unmistakable scent. The leaves of Piedmont peppermint can be used fresh or dried, and the essential oil extracted from them is used to make drinks, liqueurs, sweets, desserts and ice cream. In this sense, we can reveal a curious fact: the essential oil obtained from mint isn’t green, but transparent. For this reason, in most cases artificial colourings are used in food production to replicate the plant’s natural green tint. While it’s true that in recent years there’s been a trend reversal, with a return to natural products and the elimination of many synthetic substances, it’s also true that we like colour because it tells us something about the food we’re eating, influencing our choices around it.
Galatea’s Piementina: naturally green
However, someone has gone the extra mile and managed to create a green colour in a natural way. Galatea, leader in the sector of semi-finished products for artisanal ice creams that are completely natural, made with high-quality ingredients and emulsifier-free, has created the Menta Piementina paste. This is behind an entirely natural ice cream that allows us to enjoy the taste and smell of mint, but also its colour.
Galatea’s Menta Piementina paste, made from essential oil of Piedmont mint, is created without artificial colourings. This is in keeping with Galatea’s philosophy, which since its founding near Treviso in 2003 has meant excluding hydrogenated fats and GMOs from production. How? The green is obtained by mixing the colours from two plants: extracts of spirulina seaweed, which has a blue hue and from safflower, a perfumed plant that is yellow in colour.
Mint and spirulina: a fresh, colourful and healthy ice cream
There’s nothing better than the refreshing coolness and taste of ice cream on a hot day. Galatea has created one that isn’t only highly revitalising, it’s also pleasant to the eye thanks to its natural colour as well as combining the beneficial properties of mint and spirulina, which the FAO has identified as a “food of the future”, essential in the fight against malnutrition. This microalgae, in fact, is considered a superfood because it’s rich in plant proteins and essential amino acids, as well as minerals such as iron, magnesium and manganese. It also contains B-complex vitamins, vitamins A, C, D and E, in addition to pigments that improve our health such as beta-carotene and chlorophyll. Several studies have also shown that spirulina helps strengthen the immune system as well as fight tiredness and fatigue. And, added to mint ice cream, it’s the perfect energy booster for a warm summer day!
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