SHARE
COPY LINK

RIMINI

The ‘World’s Best Gelato’ has been crowned after a three-year contest

An Italian competition to find the best gelato in the world has come to the conclusion after three years of searching, that when it comes to perfect ice cream, there's no place like home.

The 'World's Best Gelato' has been crowned after a three-year contest
The winning pistacchio flavour. Photo: Dino Buffagni

The Gelato World Tour is coordinated by the Carpigiani Gelato University, also known as Bologna's ice cream university, and is supported by the Italian Foreign Ministry as it tours the world each year to track down the tastiest gelato on the planet.

Judges have toured the world during a three-year selection process with over 1,800 gelato-makers taking part. The 36 finalists representing 19 countries competed in the Grand Finals in Rimini this weekend, with a number of challenges ranging from dairy-free ice cream to speedy gelato-making.

But it turned out that the very best cone can be found in Italy, with the Gelateria Crispini in Spoleto scooping the top prize.


Alessandro Crispini poses with his prize-winning gelato. Photo: Dino Buffagni/Gelato World Tour

Gelataio Alessandro Crispini's pistacchio flavour, made of three kinds of Sicilian pistacchio roasted for 24 hours, was crowned the World's Best Gelato.

The winners were selected by a 45-strong jury including gelato experts, chefs, and journalists.

In second place was the German Eiscafé De Rocco in Schwabach with a grape sorbet created by a father and son in a tribute to their hometown of Venice. And a chocolate-passion fruit gelato from Amor-acuyà in Medellín, Colombia was awarded third place.

A total of 50,000 visitors came to the finals to watch the competition and enjoy the 2,500kg of gelato which was produced over the three-day fair.

And according to organizers, 2017 has been a record year for gelato-eaters as well as makers, with consumption of the dessert up ten percent on last year.

READ ALSO: How to spot good quality gelato in Italy – and how to suss out the fakes

How to spot good quality gelato in Italy - and how to suss out the fakes

Photo: Alexandra E Rust/Flickr

For members

FOOD AND DRINK

Do Italians really eat pasta every day?

Pasta is the foundation of Italian cuisine and Italians have a reputation for eating it nearly every day. But is this reality or myth?

Do Italians really eat pasta every day?

Pasta is the cornerstone of Italian cuisine and an essential staple of Italians’ diet, hence the popularity of the adage Toglietemi tutto ma non la pasta! (‘Take everything away from me except pasta’).

But there is a widespread belief among foreign nationals that people in the bel paese eat it every single day of the week. 

Is this reality or myth?

According to a survey from research platform YouGov Italia, ‘only’ 17 percent of Italians eat pasta every day or at least six days a week. 

The majority of Italians (37 percent) consume pasta two to three times a week, while 30 percent say they eat it four to five times a week. 

Finally, 8 percent eat pasta just once a week.

While the survey seems to disprove the claim that Italians generally eat pasta every day (only a minority does), does that mean that they are not as big pasta eaters as we may have originally thought?

Not really. 

Italians are still the leading pasta consumers in the world as the average person in the country eats some 23.1 kilograms of it every year (that’s nearly two kilograms a month).

READ ALSO: Ask an Italian: How do you sauce pasta properly?

For context, people in neighbouring France and Germany only consume 8.3 and 7.9 kg per capita a year, whereas the average American eats about 9 kg every year.

Further, yearly per capita consumption in the UK stands at an average of just 3.5 kg, according to a report from pasta maker Barilla.

So, while they may not have it every day, Italians do eat quite a lot of pasta over the course of a year. 

But how do they never get tired of it? 

One of the main reasons behind Italians’ unbreakable bond with the high-carb food is variety. 

Italians are extremely creative when it comes to pasta and they rarely eat the same dish twice in a row as they like to experiment with a wide range of recipes and sauces.

READ ALSO: Ten golden rules for cooking pasta like an Italian

Further, there are over 350 types of pasta in Italy, which means that you could potentially eat a different pasta shape almost every day of the year.

Another reason why most Italians have pasta multiple times a week is that they tend to eat it in moderation, steering well clear of potential carb overloads. 

While they may have a large, high-calorie pasta dish (for instance, lasagne or pasta al ragù) on weekends or on special occasions, people in the country generally go for lighter recipes and sauces on normal days, with portions generally going from 80 to 120 grams per person.

Also, Italians very rarely eat pasta twice a day, with the majority of people having it for lunch and then opting for a non-carb-based dish in the evening.

SHOW COMMENTS