Over 9,000 pounds of artisan gelato served in Millennium Park

Gelato World Tour served over 9,000 pounds of artisan gelato in Millennium Park over Memorial Day Weekend. Thousands of people enjoyed over 78,000 cups and mini-cones filled with the best flavors of gelato in the Americas.

Sixteen teams came together this weekend in Chicago to compete for The Best Gelato Flavor in the Americas. The teams came from Canada, the United States, Colombia, and Brasil – representing all of the Americas in this prestigious international competition. A panel of expert culinary judges (30%) combined with the public vote (65%) and the opinion of the artisans competing in the event (5%) decided the outcome of the competition. The four winners will move on to compete in Rimini, Italy with winners from the other stages for the title “World’s Best Gelato Flavor.”

• In keeping with our reputation as a culinary giant, Chicago fared quite well in this competition. One of the finalists is a Chicago-area artisan gelato shop, another used KOVAL Bourbon in their inventive flavor, and the Journalists’ Choice award went to a Windy City inspired flavor.

The winning artisan was Daniela Lince Ledesma from Medellin, Colombia. Her flavor, Amor-Acuyá, combined three different sensations, an outstanding South American passion fruit with its sour and sweet taste which melded perfectly with the cream, a homemade passion fruit variegate to enhance aroma, and a 65% Colombian chocolate obtaining a strong contrast with its bittersweet taste.

The Finalists:

• 1st Place: “Amor-Acuyá” by Daniela Lince Ledesma, Dolce Gelato – Medellin – Colombia
• 2nd Place: “Chicago Pothole” by Angelo Lollino & Ali Caine Hung, Vero Coffee & Gelato – Elmwood Park Chicago – Illinois – USA
• 3rd Place: “Rich Chocolate, KOVAL Single-Barrel Organic Bourbon, Ganache Swirl & Maple-Candied Pecans” by Tammy Giuliani, Stella Luna Gelato Café – Ottawa – Canada
• Winner Technical Jury Award: “Saffron Pistachio with Candied Lemon Peel Gelato” by Gianluigi Dellaccio, Dolci Gelati Café – Washington DC – USA

 Special Mentions:

• People’s Choice goes to “Texas Pecan Pie” by Matthew Lee, TÈO – Austin – Texas, and “Passion Fruit Ricotta with Candied Walnuts” by Natalie Yepes, Dolci Peccati Gelato – Miami – Florida – USA
• Journalist’s Choice goes to “Windy City S’mores” by Baron Gottsacker, Bent Spoon Gelato – Sheboygan – Wisconsin – USA

The Gelato World Tour, which is supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of Economic Development, as well as the Regione Emilia Romagna, is the first international traveling competition in search of the best flavors in the world. Gelato World Tour has visited nine Gelato Capitals – Rome, Valencia, Melbourne, Dubai, Austin, Berlin, Rimini, Singapore and Tokyo. The Tour is directed by Carpigiani Gelato University, the world’s most renowned school for successful gelato entrepreneurs, and Sigep – Rimini Fiera, the world’s premier artisan gelato tradeshow. Two important partners make this event possible: IFI, international leader in the manufacturing of display cases for gelaterias, and PreGel America, the world’s largest producer of ingredients for gelato, pastry and coffee shops.