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GELATO WORLD TOUR ANNOUNCES THE 16 FLAVORS FOR THE AMERICAS EAST INSTALLMENT IN CHICAGO

CHICAGO, ILL. (April 19, 2016) – The Gelato World Tour, the world's premiere cross-cultural artisan gelato competition, has announced the 16 elite gelato flavors that will compete for the title of “World’s Best Gelato – Americas East” at Millennium Park in Chicago May 27-29, 2016.

In this free cultural event which is open to the public, 16 gelato artisan teams (listed below) from North and South America will tell their stories and present their unique flavors to the public and to a jury of experts and journalists, whose votes will be combined to award the best gelato flavor in the Americas. The top three flavors and artisans will represent the Eastern Americas at the Grand Finale of Gelato World Tour to be held in Rimini, Italy in 2017.

The top 16 gelato flavors of the Americas East were selected by a Jury directed by Emily Ellen (chef, food writer and culinary educator best known as the “Retro Rad Chef” from Food Network), Ben Vaughn (award-winning chef, best-selling author, restaurateur and featured television personality), Dr. Robert Bradley (expert in frozen dessert technology, analytical methods of food science and sensory evaluation of dairy foods at University of Wisconsin), and Luciana Polliotti (Italian journalist, gelato expert and curator of the world renowned Gelato Museum).

The Top 16 Flavors Vying for the title of “World’s Best Gelato” are as follows:

  • 606 by Jessica Oloroso, Black Dog Gelato, Chicago, Illinois, USA
  • Amor-acuyá by Daniela Lince Ledesma, Dolce Gelato, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
  • Balsamic Strawberry Rocks by Gonzalo Egozcue, GelatoStar, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
  • Camembert with Vignoles Plum Swirl by Anne Croy & Hollie Powell, Pastaria Restaurant, Clayton, Missouri, USA
  • Canadian Maple Bacon Mini Doughnut by Mario Spina & Sharon Woo, Burger 320 - Zig Zag, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • Chicago Pothole by Angelo Lollino & Ali Caine Hung, Vero Coffee & Gelato, Elmwood Park, Illinois, USA
  • Frost Cookie Gelato by Nazario Melchionda, Frost, A Gelato Shoppe, Tucson, Arizona, USA
  • Honey & Sunflower Biscotti by Linda & Joseph Mercurio, Mercurio's, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Magic Carpet Ride by Tolga Seymen, Nutty Squirrel Gelato, Seattle, Washington, USA
  • Maple Gelato by Loris Carlo & Leonardo De Prato, Leonardo's Gelateria, Barre, Vermont, USA
  • Passion Fruit Ricotta with Candied Walnuts by Natalie Yepes, Dolci Peccati Gelato, Miami, Florida, USA
  • Rich Chocolate, KOVAL Single-Barrel Organic Bourbon, Ganache Swirl & Maple-Candied Pecans by Tammy Giuliani, Stella Luna Gelato Café, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  • Saffron Pistachio with Candied Lemon Peel Gelato by Gianluigi Dellaccio, Dolci Gelati Café, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
  • Texas Whiskey & Pecan by Matthew Lee, TÈO, Austin, Texas, USA
  • Vanilla & Chocolate-Hazelnut by Bruno Couto de Matos, Frio Gostoso, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
  • Windy City S'mores by Baron Gottsacker, Bent Spoon Gelato, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA

The Gelato World Tour, with more than 1,500 competitors from 5 continents, is the most comprehensive gelato competition in the world. It has already visited nine cities: Rome, Valencia, Melbourne, Dubai, Austin, Berlin, Rimini, Singapore and Tokyo. The prestigious Carpigiani Gelato University and Sigep – Rimini Fiera, the most important trade show for traditional gelato and pastry, have organized the event. Main Partners are IFI, leading manufacturer of gelato display cases, and PreGel, the world’s largest producer of ingredients for gelato and pastry. The event is supported internationally by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the Emilia Romagna Region. In Chicago the The Italian Trade Agency – Chicago and Illinois Restaurant Association are local supporters of the event,

Media credentials, photography, b-roll and more information are available upon request

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