Gelato Festival World recently released the rating of the perfect gelato makers for 2024. This 13-year-old tradition has change into a trademark of the summer.
This prestigious competition awards prestigious crowns much like the famous Michelin stars and keys given to exceptional restaurants and hotels.
Are the Artisan Gelato winners all Italian?
No not all.
In an unexpected turn of events, gelato artist Adam Fazekas of Hungary took first place this 12 months, beating competitors from five continents. Travelers can enjoy Fazekas’ award-winning gelato at his shop in Budapest, Ceramic confectionery.
In recent years, Italians have often taken the highest spots, which shouldn’t be surprising since gelato originated in Italy. Its origins might be traced back to the Florentine Caterina de Medici, who in 1553 convinced the famous alchemist and astrologer Cosimo Ruggieri to bring his handmade frozen dessert to the royal court of her husband Henry II.
Italian Giovanna Bonazzi, from The Parona of Ice Cream in Parona (a small town within the Veneto region), secured second place on this 12 months’s competition. Her drive and competitive spirit have also made her famous in one other field. She is the holder of two world titles in mountain bike racing.
The 2022 winner, Marco Venturino from Gelateria I Giardini di Marzo from Varazze, Savona (within the Liguria region), has been inducted into the Gelato Hall of Fame. He will now not compete but will join the jury team, following the identical illustrious path as Eugenio Morrone from Rome. The Sicilian Cannolowhich took first place in 2020.
The best gelato within the USA
Savannah G. Lee from Savannah’s Gelato Kitchen in San Francisco was named the third best gelato maker on the planet and received the title of best gelato maker within the United States,
But you do not have to fly to the West Coast to taste the creations of a top ice cream maker. Other U.S. winners who made it to the highest 25 include:
- eleventh place – Mike Guerriero of Guerriero Gelato (with five locations in New Jersey)
- sixteenth place – Giuseppe Lollino of Vero Gelato in Franklin Park, Illinois
- seventeenth place – Diego Comparin of Paciugo Gelato in Dallas, Texas, and
- twenty fifth place – Maria Liliana Biondo of uGOgelato in Cincinnati, Ohio.
On the subject of rating: How to find out “the best”
The Gelato World Festival uses a classy judging system with evaluations by a whole bunch of experts. Scores were derived from participation in competitions and qualifying rounds from 2011 to the current. As a results of this process, over 8,000 gelato artisans from 1,278 gelato parlors qualified for the 2024 competition.
This huge effort to advertise the standard and recognition of gelato is a collaboration between Gelato Festival World, Carpigiani (the world leader in gelato machines) and Sigep Italian Exhibition Group (a producer of B2B shows).
“Handmade ice cream is an example of Italian excellence and represents one of the leading sectors of the dessert industry, which is experiencing increasing consumption worldwide,” said Valentina Sorgente of Sigep in a press release announcing the winners.
“Summarising 13 years of competitions, it is clear that gelato artisans are increasingly committed to researching ingredients, studying balancing techniques and developing their own unique style,” added Giulia Rossi of Carpigiani.
Ultimately, similar to high quality wine, selecting the perfect gelato is a subjective matter. The best gelato will be the one which pleases your palate and is the best to get while you’re craving a creamy summer treat.
The complete rating might be found on the Festival website