Crema del re is a historic gelato flavor prepared and sold at a family-owned Mokambo pastry shop in Ruvo di Puglia. The gelato is made with a base that combines milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla, but the rest of the ingredients remain secret. The recipe for this gelato allegedly dates from 1840.
As the story goes, a pastry chef Luigi Marseglia moved to Ruvo in the early 20th century to follow his bride. Marseglia was a pastry chef at the historical café Gambrinus in Naples, and in Ruvo, he shared his passion, knowledge, and the recipe for crema del re with Vincenzo Paparella.