Sweet victory: Top Canadian gelato chefs triumph at Gelato Festival World Masters
By Carpigiani
GeneralMississauga (Ont.), April 17, 2024 – Gelato Festival World Masters, the main category tournament with partners Carpigiani and Sigep – Italian Exhibition Group, is on its new journey around the globe searching for the world’s best gelato. The second challenge on Canadian soil, following the 2023 selection, took place April 16 in Mississauga, Ont., where 18 gelato chefs took part in the sweetest competition of the year at the headquarters of Cool King Refrigeration, the Carpigiani distributor.
The winning chefs and the best gelato artisans in Canada for 2024 are:
First place
Kaya Ogruce from Death in Venice in Toronto, Ont. with the flavour “Rich Bitch”
Description: gelato-infused with wild candy cap mushrooms, topped with Canadian caviar and olive oil for a salty and warm touch
Second place
Gabriele Di Marco from Oretta Café in Toronto, Ont. with the flavour “Amabile”
Description: coffee gelato, 100 per cent arabica, twisted with Sicilian lemon and pistachio crunch with cornflakes
Third place
Carlo Diano from Futura Granita + Gelato in Toronto, Ont. with the flavour “Tamago Kake Gohan”
Description: custard gelato with white sesame crumble and seaweed with miso caramel
Fourth place
James Coleridge from Gelato by James in Vancouver, B.C. with the flavour “Almond Wild Cherry”
Description: buffalo milk, almond oil and extract from Sicily, amaretti cookies made in house at Casereccio and the famed wild cherry
Ogruce, Diano and Coleridge (first, third and fourth place) will advance to the North American Semifinals of Gelato Festival World Masters, to be held later this year. While Di Marco, who had won the previous North American Semifinals held in 2023, is already qualified for the North American Finals (to be held in 2025).
Flavour, structure, creativity, and oral and aesthetic presentation are the four parameters used for the evaluation, highlighting the choice of ingredients, the craftsmanship in elaborating the recipe and the visual impact of the gelato (see below the full list of participants).
The jury was composed of: Annie Chu, food expert, founder of Chu on This; Massimo Zitti, bartender, and owner of Mother Cocktail Bar; Hadrien Verrier, chef and owner of Hadrien Patisserie; David H. Chow, pastry chef and maître chocolatier.
Gelato Festival debuted in Florence in 2010, inspired by the creation of the first gelato recipe by the versatile architect Bernardo Buontalenti in 1559. Since then, the event has expanded its borders, first to the rest of Italy, then to Europe and – starting in 2017 – the United States, with a total of 80 Festivals held, before embracing the entire planet with the world championship of Gelato Festival World Masters 2021, which concluded in Dec. 2021 – with the victory of Adam Fazekas from Budapest – and saw a record of 3,500 gelato artisans judged by international juries.
Facebook: Gelato Festival World Masters
Instagram: Gelato Festival World Masters
GELATO FESTIVAL WORLD MASTERS
Ontario Challenge, Mississauga
April 16, 2024
Cool King Refrigeration
List of the other participants:
- Paolo di Lallo from Mizzica Gelateria & Caffe in Toronto, Ont. with the flavour “Fondente al Bacio”
- Darren Johns from Mercury Chocolates & Gelateria in Cobourg, Ont. with the flavour “Pomegranate”
- Mark Johnson from Ed’s Real Scoop in Toronto, Ont. with the flavour “Red Hot Chili Chocolate”
- Jade Joey from On Third Thought in Toronto, Ont. with the flavour “Venetian Sunset”
- Gisella Zomparelli Chung from Gelato North in Toronto, Ont. with the flavour “Hotteok”
- Parry Sohi from Nani’s Gelato in Mississauga, Ont. with the flavour “Hazelnut Chai Tiramisu”
- Daniela Zomparelli from Lola’s Gelato in Toronto, Ont. with the flavour “Brigadeiro”
- Tatjana Mitrovic from Joy Foods Canada in Etobicoke, Ont. with the flavour “Pride Sorbetto – Fruity Monster (love is served here)”
- Stefania Pede from Cocoa 40 in Newmarket, Ont. with the flavour “Sea Turtle”
- Kiren Miret from Gelateria Morgana in Oakville, Ont. with the flavour “Goat Cheese with tropical twist”
- Giovanni Pizzale from Affogato in Huntsville, Ont. with the flavour “Lavender Gewurztraminer”
- Martin Littkermann from The Buff Stuff Store in Stirling, Ont. with the flavour “Vanilla”
- Kennedy Kot from Mio Gelato in Kingston, Ont. with the flavour “Chocolate Honey Comb”
- Salvatore Guarna from I Love Gelato in Burlington, Ont. with the flavour “Sapori di Calabria”
Advertisement
