Gelato World Tour 2016

What sounds better than spending a weekend eating gelato, hanging with Italians, enjoying the Windy City, and meeting some of the best gelato artisans in the world?! Nothing, right?

Some of the Iorio’s crew did have this kind of weekend recently! The last weekend of May the Gelato World Tour found its way to Chicago and we found our way to the Tour. Though Iorio’s Gelato did not compete (this year), owners, Nick and Mary, and manager, Alex, all had the chance to enjoy the gelato festivities for the weekend.

Each year gelato artisans from around the world compete for the title of Gelato World Champion.  First, gelato artisans compete in their local area, and the winners of each geography go on to compete for the world title in Milan, Italy.

The competition travels around the world, this year to Tokyo, Singapore, Germany, and the United States. This year the competition came to Chicago, to find North America’s best gelato artisan.  Everyone was invited to come try the different gelato flavors and choose their favorite. We went all three days to check out the day’s events, try the gelato, and learn more about the latest and greatest gelato equipment. We met gelato chefs, business owners, and other gelato enthusiasts from around the world, and even got to meet a penguin who eats gelato.

The competition in Chicago took place in Millennium Park, steps away from the infamous bean. It was a crowded event with long lines to enter the gelato tent and a crowded group once you’re in there. Turns out people like gelato. Go figure.

Once in the gelato tent you can taste all of the competitors’ signature flavors, watch them making their gelato in the gelato kitchen full of state of the art gelato equipment, and take your photo as a gelato chef...

After all the votes were collected the Gelato World Tour announced the competition winners for North America. The people’s choice winner went to Daniela Lince Ledesma of Dolce Gelato in Columbia (the country, not the city). Her flavor, “Amor­Acuyá”, had all sorts of deliciousness, which is probably why her flavor was the most voted.

The winner of the Technical Jury Award went to Gianluigi Dellaccio of Dolci Gelati Café with his “Saffron Pistachio with Candied Lemon Peel Gelato” flavor.  We were particularly happy he won, since he trained our very own gelato chef, Nick, everything he knows about gelato making!

We’re excited to follow North America’s winners to Italy to compete for the prestigious title of Gelato World Champion, and we’re even more excited for years to come to compete for Iorio’s Gelato to become the world’s best gelato!