Taysir Al-Ghanem is an Italian with Jordanian origin: he was born in Jordan but he has lived in Italy most of his life. In 2013 he decided to study the art of making artisanal gelato, in fact he attended beginner and intermediate courses at Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna, followed by others in different places. He also participated at the Gelato World Tour in Dubai in February 2014, where he presented his innovative "Brown Bread Gelato"'s recipe.

Finally, in September 2014 he opened his own small shop in Amman called "Il caffè Latino di Roma".

When did you decide to open a gelato shop? Has it always been a dream of yours or was it a sudden decision?

Actually, opening a “gelateria” has always been a dream that started making gelato at home in a very amateur way. When the opportunity came in 2013, I decided to start a new profession: becoming a “gelatiere”.

Why did you decide to produce and sell gelato?

Even though I have retired at an early age, I am still in my fifties and I can work, so I decided to use my time to make some additional income while practicing my new profession.

Where did you learn about Carpigiani Gelato University? Why did you decide to register for courses?

I learned about the CGU form a friend of mine who owns a “gelateria” in Rome, where I occasionally observed and learned about the process of producing gelato. I made Internet researches and eventually established direct contacts with Carpigiani company, which introduced me to the CGU and offered me opportunities to learn advanced skills in real artisanal gelato making.

What is the mission of your gelato shop?

The mission of our gelato shop in Jordan is to introduce to the Jordanian public the real taste of artisanal gelato.  Here in Jordan, consumers are used to eat ice-cream, not gelato as known in Italy. Our mission is to make them aware of the difference between the two and to let them taste quality products resulting from our deep knowledge and expertise in making gelato using the well established CGU parameters.
 

What was the inspiration for the name of your gelato shop?

The real artisanal gelato is Italian by definition and tradition. There are thousands of imitations that hardly represent the original one. The name “Latino” comes form Latin, which is the origin of many languages (i.e. Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese) and it gave origin to what is now known as Latin America. But the origin of “Latinity” remains Rome: it is this concept of originality, besides having lived there most of my life, that inspired me to call the shop “Latino di Roma”. In fact, our gelato is original, it is not an imitation and not ice-cream. It represents the original Italian gelato taste, feel and fragrance.

Tell me about a typical day in the shop.

Like any other “gelateria” in Italy, we get our fresh milk directly from the producing farm, where milk is collected, pasteurized and delivered to our workshop early in the morning, once or twice a week. Upon milk arrival we prepare the mix for the White Base (and for Yellow Base once a month) and fill our pasteurizing machine, Pastomaster (60 liters). Naturally we leave the mix to age till the following morning when we dedicate the whole day to the production of the needed milk-based flavors of gelato. Meanwhile, we produce the fruit based flavors of gelato and sorbet using fresh organic fruits. Our production process strictly observes the CGU parameters and the highest EU standards of hygiene and quality input. In addition to a large variety of Italian gelato, in our shop it is possible to taste Italian coffee products and a range of Italian pastry and cold drinks.

What part of your work do you like the most?

I like learning and creating or modifying recipes of different Latin origins.

What is your favorite flavor?

My favorite flavor is Hazelnuts (Nocciola).

Is there a flavor you enjoy making the most?

Yes. It’s Stracciatella.

What is your customers’ favorite flavor?

Customers often choose Pistachio, Mango and Vanilla.

In the country where you work, is artisanal gelato known? Or is it confused with industrial ice cream?

It is confused. Gelato is little known and more public awareness is needed.

How do you communicate the craftsmanship of your product?

Explaining how we work through conversations with customers, shop’s brochure and social media.

In your opinion, what is the key to success for a gelato shop?

In my opinion, location, publicity and quality products are the three basic elements for a successful shop. At the moment, our location is not bad and our publicity needs a lot of boosting; but our gelato quality is the best in the Middle East. I am confident it will be soon the best gelato in the world.

How do you communicate with customers and how do you make yourself known? Do you use social networks a lot?

At the moment, because of our low level of liquidity available, we communicate through social media (Facebook: Latino di Roma caffè website) and we trust in word of mouth. But we have plans to empower our marketing activities.

How and how much has your life changed since you opened your gelato shop?

My life has changed a lot since we opened the shop. It is a new lifestyle with new prospects for prosperity while enjoying a new working experience. It helps me making new friends and contributes to create happy moments for all, from children to old people. Furthermore, serving our high quality products  we contribute to increase both the Jordanian economy and the Italian exports.

What are your plans for the future? Do you want to open more shops?

Our immediate goal is to make our shop a successful experience not only for our own sake but also, and above all, for our clients. Our main preoccupation is to continue to provide the highest quality gelato, not ice-cream, to our clients using best quality fresh milk, organic fruits and genuine natural inputs of Italian origin. In the future we may consider opening another shop or two maybe; but we just want to live well and make our customers feeling well.

What is the message/advice that you would offer students at CGU courses or to anyone who wants to start a career in gelato?

My advice is to have the courage of opening a “gelateria” even if you haven’t had a commercial experience before. It is important though, to keep a high spirit having the will to learn always new things, to select the right location and to preserve at least a small budget for advertisement. Advertisement often seems to be the most important factor to make your business known. But a continuous attention to quality and the highest standards of hygiene are your long-term friends.