History and Culture
Artisanal ice cream with a French touch in the heart of Pelourinho
French Georges Laporte produces unique, chemical-free flavored ice cream
Sorveteria e Lanchonete Le Glacier Laporte. Pelourinho, Salvador, Bahia. Foto: Amanda Oliveira .
In Largo do Cruzeiro de São Francisco, in Pelourinho, between townhouses, mansions and the famous “golden church” that bears the name of the same square, a Frenchman produces some of Salvador’s most wanted ice cream. Georges Laporte is the artisan behind every flavor of Le Glacier Laporte Ice Cream Parlor, a charming little establishment with coffee tables and sunshades scattered outside.
If you’re on a lucky day, you’ll meet Georges at the counter and get his help choosing from the many flavors the ice cream shop offers. There are classic darlings, like chocolate, but also the most unusual ones, such as Oriental, inspired by a Moroccan couscous, and Martinique, made with orange peel, rum and dark chocolate pieces.
The ice creams are all handmade and don’t carry any kind of chemical. The refreshing Caraíba, for example, was designed to keep one of its key nutrients, the vitamin C from acerola – and even preserve the color of the fruit.
“Acerola is very rich in vitamin C, which begins to die from the moment you peel it off. It also loses its color and begins to turn orange. So, to make a non-spoiling acerola ice cream, I decided to mix it with ginger and lemon, preserving the color of the fruit. The taste is delicious”, explains Georges.
Some of the recipes come from the ice cream master’s home country: George’s aunt owns an ice cream parlor in the small town of Deauville, France, where he worked before moving to Brazil and opening Le Glacier Laporte in 2002.
“I brought my aunt’s ice cream flavors and recipes. She accepted that. But I changed a bit because in France, for example, we work with beet sugar and here with cane sugar. I remade the recipes and gradually included others that are more similar to Brazil”, says Georges, who buys a good part of the raw material at Feira de São Joaquim and other local producers, always taking into account respect for the ecosystem.
Ice cream is the flagship, but the space also sells coffee, juices, savory and crepes. Choose your favorite flavor and take a moment to sit on one of the chairs outside and watch the beautiful historic downtown.
Service
Le Glacier Laporte Ice Cream Shop
Address: Largo do Cruzeiro de São Francisco, 21 – Pelourinho, Salvador – BA, 40020-280
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 8pm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/le_glacier_laporte/
Important: no reservation required.
Accessibility: tables and chairs at traditional height. No stops or stairs at the entrance.
