The Austin gelato scene is blowing up, and now the city will be the only North American stop for the Gelato World Tour. The 'world tour' part is no joke: other stops include Dubai, Shanghai, and Melbourne. Sixteen North American competitors will face off in Republic Square Park, and the top three advancing to the world finals in Rimini, Italy.
Austin's own Teo Espresso & Gelato is amongst the competitors according to CultureMap, but no other competitors have been released. In addition to the competition there will be lessons and workshops on gelato-making. The tour is organized by Carpigiani Gelato University; check out the full press release below.
Update! Here's the full lineup and Eater's interview with Matthew Lee of Teo, who says this tour is "a big deal"
GELATO WORLD TOUR COMPETITION SELECTS AUSTIN, TEXAS
Sixteen Gelato Artisans Vie for The North American Title, May 9-11, 2014
AUSTIN (April 14,2014) After visiting Rome, Valencia, Melbourne and Dubai, the Gelato World Tour will be stopping in Austin, Texas, May 9-11 at Republic Square. The Gelato World Tour is a competition and celebration of the ART of FROZEN DESSERTS. In the end, the tour will have visited eight cities, five continents, tested hundreds of competitors and delighted hundreds of thousands of people. The best gelato artisan in the world will be crowned in Rimini, Italy, later in the year.
"The city's interest in diverse food experiences, healthy lifestyle, artistic culture and desire for high-quality locally-sourced food ingredients made Austin the perfect choice for our competition," stated Achille Sassoli, Gelato World Tour's Director.
With free admission to the public, the tour's premier event in Austin will present sixteen renowned gelato artisans from North America as they compete to create the world's best gelato flavor. Visitors and industry professionals are invited to enjoy lessons, hands-on workshops and delicious instruction on the ancient art of making gelato.
Because artisan gelato is made fresh daily with the highest quality ingredients, has less air than traditional ice cream and is served at a higher temperature, the flavors invigorate the palette while the gelato contains fewer calories and fat. This makes gelato the right choice for health-conscious foodies who appreciate the finest flavors and textures.
The event is organized by Carpigiani Gelato University, the most prestigious Gelato School in the world, which has thirteen schools on five continents and produces the world's premier expo in artisan food, Sigep-Rimini Fiera. Main partners and leading manufacturers of showcases and ingredients are IFI and MEC3. The Gelato World Tour is proud to collaborate with local partners at the Sustainable Food Center and the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce of Texas.
· The Gelato World Tour is Coming to Austin [CultureMap]
· All Festivals Coverage [EATX]