Local 01
By Pamela Patton
Photo by [Peasant Life]
Semifreddo: An Italian Frozen Dessert Made in West Michigan
Jordan Shirk has always known he wanted a career in the culinary arts. “I had attended the Calhoun Area Career Center in Battle Creek during high school and knew I wanted to continue my culinary education, but I was looking for something truly unique. After some research, I was drawn to the vibrant food and wine scene in South Africa. That’s when I discovered a small, hands-on culinary school in Cape Town that only enrolled a limited number of students each year. It offered the kind of immersive, intensive experience I was craving, all in a place that would broaden my perspective both culturally and culinarily. It turned out to be a foundational chapter in shaping my approach to food and hospitality.”
Photo by [Peasant Life]
Jordan’s career path led him to a restaurant in Philadelphia, where he and his wife, Emily, put their experience into practice. One of the desserts they created was semifreddo.
Semifreddo is an Italian frozen dessert whose name translates to “half-cold” or “half-frozen,” though the dessert is fully frozen. The name refers to its soft, creamy texture that feels less icy than traditional ice cream, more akin to a frozen mousse or cake. The main ingredients are typically egg yolks, sugar, and cream, which are whipped together to incorporate air, creating a light and airy texture that is distinctive: it melts quickly on the tongue. It feels fluffy and creamy rather than dense or hard. It usually contains more sugar and fat than ice cream but less water, and is composed of more than 50% air by volume, which contributes to its lightness.
Photo by [Peasant Life]
“You could not find semifreddo in any grocery store, so I wondered if it would be possible to sell it in a grocery store. The idea was always in the back of my mind. Then COVID hit the restaurant business, so we moved back to Michigan, and I figured it was time to give it a shot.” And Semifreddo was born.
The first manufacturing location was a dairy facility called The Starting Block in Hart. Then, thanks to a few grants, Jordan was able to purchase dairy equipment and move his operation to Grand Rapids, where he renovated a small space for a dairy facility.
Photo by [Peasant Life]
Semifreddo is a light, creamy, and aerated dessert, typically made with eggs, sugar, and whipped cream, often flavored with fruit, chocolate, nuts, coffee, or liqueurs. Unlike traditional gelato, it’s not churned in a batch freezer but instead prepared using a planetary mixer (imagine a giant KitchenAid Mixer) found in a commercial kitchen or whisk, giving it a mousse-like texture and warmer serving temperature. Its roots go back to European royal kitchens and the Belle Époque, and today it is a hallmark of high-end Italian dessert craftsmanship. It’s particularly popular in artisanal gelaterias that want to offer something sophisticated and indulgent, something between gelato and pastry. Most notably, semifreddo can be sliced or used in molds.
Semifreddo is available in five flavors: chocolate, vanilla, lemon, pistachio and strawberry. “We use only fresh natural ingredients. Chocolate is made with cocoa powder, vanilla is flavored with vanilla bean extract, lemon gets its fresh flavor from lemon oil, and for the pistachio, we grind pistachio nuts into a creamy paste, then blend it in. And of course, strawberry is made with fresh strawberries. We stay as clean as possible, and each flavor has no more than eight ingredients.”
Photo by [Peasant Life]
Semifreddo was first introduced at Bridge Street Market in Grand Rapids, and the story of how it got into the market is unusual. “My wife and I were renting an apartment. Our apartment landlord’s friend Matt manages the meat department at the Bridge Street store. The landlord told Matt he had to try Semifreddo, so we had a tasting at Matt’s house. He recommended us. Then we attended the Made in Michigan show in Lansing, where we received a Golden Ticket, which automatically qualified us for all Meijer Market locations. It has only grown from there. We’re in Woodward Corner Market in Royal Oak and the new Independence Market in Clarkston.”
Obviously, a dessert that uses cream, sugar, and egg yolks is not low-calorie. “A full pint is between 700–900 calories. A single scoop is around 200–300 calories. But keep in mind that semifreddo is so rich that just a spoonful is satisfying.”
Photo by [Peasant Life]
If the name seems familiar, Jordan has been introducing Grand Rapids frozen dessert fans to Semifreddo through a food trailer at events throughout the city. “It’s funny. We’ll pull the truck into an event, and before we can get our signs up, kids will start pointing and yelling ‘ice cream.’ But as we sell more Semifreddo in stores, we’ll still have the trailer, but at fewer events.”
Jordan hopes to convert his dairy facility into a full-scale creamery and begin producing authentic Italian cheeses, including Burrata (a fresh mozzarella pouch filled with cream) and Mozzarella, to start, with plans to expand into other pasta filata cheeses in the future.
Considering the fresh ingredients and process that go into making Semifreddo, the price per pint is very reasonable. It’s around the same price point as Ben & Jerry’s. But here’s the difference: It’s possible to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s in one sitting. It’s improbable you could do the same with a pint of rich and creamy Semifreddo—but you’re welcome to try!