It may be safe to say that Kaya Ogruce has found his calling and Toronto aficionados of gelato and sorbetti are rejoicing.
The peripatetic Ogruce was born in Istanbul, studied engineering at the University of Toronto and after graduating became interested in food science, began work at Terroni in Toronto, then attended Stratford Chefs School, apprenticed at Scaramouche and staged at the three-Michelin-star Oud Sluis in Holland.
Back in Toronto, he is now making some of the best and most original gelato and sorbetti around as founder of Death in Venice Gelato Co. Which you can taste (and buy!) in-store tomorrow, May 7th, during the Death in Venice demo from 11-3pm.
Mexican chocolate w/buttermilk cornbread + pecan pumpkin seed praline
To call DIV’s gelato “ice cream” is like calling a Ferrari a car. Kaya makes gelato, which, although it’s the Italian word for ice cream, is also a different experience altogether; denser, softer, smoother, and served at slightly less frigid temperature.
Gelato starts with the same basic ingredients, although milk is used instead of -or combined with- cream, and it is denser because it typically has less butterfat (about 8% compared to roughly double that for North American ice cream).
It is churned more slowly, resulting in a less airy finished product and is stored and served at a higher temperature than ice cream because the dense nature of it would make it almost impossible to serve and eat at colder temperatures. This turns out to be a bonus for us: our taste buds are more receptive to warmer foods (especially if they’re rendered numb by frozen foods!) so gelato registers as more flavourful! Think of licking a frozen popsicle; the flavour doesn’t register until the thing gets a little melty.
“Tastes like Grape!”
When it comes to sweetening the deal, Kaya doesn’t use white granulated sugar, but only honey, maple syrup, tahini, organic cane sugar, or organic palm sugar.
But it’s really Kaya’s savoury gelato that is putting him on the map. Fancy a bowl of Caramelized aubergine and tahini? DIV has you covered. How about Chocolate, crisp cricket and mealworm?
Kaya’s combinations are so intriguing, delicious and original you know you just have to try some for yourself. Just have a gander at these fantastic flavours. And even more exciting flavours are arriving in June for the summer season!
DIV’s Winter Flavours:
- Yogurt and Turkish Delight
- Ricotta, rosemary & lemon
- Mexican Chocolate Mole
- Pistachio & Baklava (g)
- Popcorn & Caramel
- Dark chocolate & black olive
- Thai Peanut Caramel
- Turkish Coffee
- Pecorino & porcini mushroom
- Peanut butter & roasted croissant
- Chocolate, crisp cricket & mealworm
- Caramelized aubergine & tahini
- Roasted parsnip & maple syrup
- Chocolate, bourbon & smoke
- Honey, truffle & rosemary
- Tiramisu & marsala (g)
- Vanilla & Persian saffron
- White chocolate mocha, toasted almond & sesame
- Nutella, cookie & strawberry jelly (g)
- Apple Pie and Cinnamon (g)
- Beetroot, cardamom & rosewater sorbet (v)
- Raki (sambuca), fennel and melon sorbet (v)
- Dark Chocolate and Sour Cherry (v) (new)
- Pina Colada (coconut, lemongrass and rum soaked pineapple (v)
- Carrot &spiced ginger sorbet (v)
Luckily for us, Fiesta Farms is one of the few places in the city that carries Death in Venice products, and tomorrow, Saturday May 7, from 11 a.m.to 3 p.m. Kaya will be in our store giving a Death in Venice Demo, answering all your questions, and offering samples of his amazing products. Be ready to be wowed!
Nutella with strawberry preserves and cookie