The Gelato Festival returns to Florence’s piazzale Michelangelo from September 14 to 17, 2017 to decide Europe’s best gelatiere.
Sixteen ice-cream makers, selected during a European tour, will compete with flavours devised especially for the festival, ranging from traditional ingredients to the more fanciful.
The winner will be decided half by a panel of journalists and gelato experts and 50 percent by the popular vote.
For more information, visit the Facebook page.
Book your tickets in advance and enjoy a discount.
A look at the finalists
1. Ettamo Fragola by Roberta Rabatti of Florence’s Gelateria Ettamo. A strawberry sorbet run through with nuances of balsamic vinegar.
2. Crema di ricotta azteca al bergamotto by Carmelo Pannocchietti of Florence’s Gelateria Arà. A Sicilian cannolo in gelato form.
3. Zabaione come una volta by Emanuele Alvaro of Rome’s Gelateria Il Re Sole. Eggs, wine and sugar: like Italian desserts used to be.
4. About Strawberry and Red Pepper by Vincenzo Lenci of Fiumicino’s Gelateria Bar della Darsena. A gelato dedicated to Lenci’s English wife, hence the English name.
5. Miami Vice by Francesca Marrari of Turin’s Gelateria Golosia. Coconut, pineapple and strawberry in this Florida-inspired flavour.
6. Gelato del Vignaiolo by Nicolo Arietti of Turin’s Gelati d’Antan. A tribute to Piedmont’s Malvasia DOC grapes.
7. Femminello IGP by Michela Guerra of Foggia’s Gelateria Bar Marea. Italy’s oldest lemon meets sweet almond in this Puglia special.
8. Il mio primo vero latte by Massimiliano Scotti of Vigevano’s Gelateria VeroLatte. The freshest Brunilde milk, honey and rice from the Po plain: childhood in a cup or cone.
9. Creme della Baklava by Akash Vaghela of London’s Creme Glacee. Tunisian dessert baklava as gelato from London: the most international of flavours.
10. Scottish Raspberry by David Equi and Kaelin Halcrow of Hamilton’s Equi’s Ice Cream. Scottish raspberries reign supreme in this refreshing sorbet.
11. Plums by Peter Bertoti of Pruszków’s Quatro si. A special sort of plum with a hint of cinnamon from this creative Polish gelato maker.
12. Inne lemon curd by Giacomo Canteri of Warsaw’s Limoni. Not your average lemon sorbet, more of a lemon cream with a touch of vanilla.
13. Wild Cherry – Great Freedom by Taseer of London’s Fabulous Ice Fires. Sweet Red and Dark cherries from England, the Saurkirschen from Germany and the wilder Amarena from Italy make up this cherry wonder.
14. Communis Fortis by Francesco Bontempo of Bad Tölz’s Cristallino. Pistachio, almonds and hazelnuts by the Bavarian gelato wunderkind.
15. Nonna Rosa by Lucia Cosentino of Catanzaro’s Gelateria Marron Glacés. Reminiscent of the homemade sweet treats baked by Italian grandmothers.
16. Joghur e Fragola by Elvis Bogicevic of Bargteheide’s La Piazza. Northern German wild strawberries and the traditional regional yogurt.
