Milan, 8 November 2021 – "Of all fresh dairy products, artisanal gelato is a product of excellence in terms of food quality and safety, raising the profile of agri-food products in each individual Member State”: that was the rationale behind the European Parliament’s decision, on 5th July 2012, to proclaim the 24th March of each year European Artisanal Gelato Day, the only special day dedicated to a foodstuff, to promote craftsmanship throughout Europe, a true expression of quality, authenticity and territoriality, and to support the quality production of traditional Italian artisanal gelato, which truly brings Europe together, with a whole supply chain of its own, from raw materials to specific ingredients for gelato, from machinery to showcases for gelato parlours.
10 YEARS OF GELATO DAY. Ever since the first edition on 24 March 2013, Gelato Day has emerged as a go-to day for gourmets of all ages, with cones and cups, events, demonstrations and activities paying tribute to one of the best-loved products, not only in Europe but throughout the world. Indeed, year on year, the number of gelato makers taking part from all over Europe, but also from Australia, Japan and the United States, has soared. These countries have not only shown their passion for quality artisan gelato, but also demonstrated their solidarity during the hardest months of the pandemic emergency. What’s more, Gelato Day did not come to a halt even during the lockdowns, finding new ways, including digital ones, to provide a moment of sweetness during such difficult times for everyone. And that's not all: during the last edition - the ninth - European Artisan Gelato Day became a symbol of master gelato makers’ desire to make a fresh start. They launched a message of courage, hope and boundless creativity, opening the doors to their workshops and revealing the secrets of how to make the Flavour of the Year 2021, Mantecado, in a video competition run by Artglace. Dozens of videos came in from Europe’s finest gelato chefs, with the medal winners being Taila Semeraro from Gelateria Ciccio in the main square in Ostuni, in Puglia, Luca Coccè from Gelateria Peccati di Gola in Gallarate, Lombardy and Andrea Lunardon from Gelateria Temptations in Soave, near Verona. And these gelato makers, now Gelato Day Ambassadors, will be joining ArtGlace delegates on 24 March 2022 for a special celebration of the tenth anniversary of Gelato Day at the European Parliament building.
FLAVOUR OF THE YEAR 2022: THE GELATO-MAKERS’ CHALLENGE. A special feature of Gelato Day is the Flavour of the Year, which will be served up on 24 March at all participating gelato parlours. At the tenth edition of Gelato Day, the flavour will be "Dolce Sinfonia”, a variant of chocolate and hazelnut gelato, but, while traditionally the Flavour of the Year is selected every year by a different European country, for this special 10th anniversary edition, gelato makers from all over Europe will help decide on the recipe, by challenging each other in the new European-wide competition run by Artglace, in association with Longarone Fiere Dolomiti and Italian Exhibition Group (IEG).
The contest is free to enter and open to all gelato makers in Europe, who are being asked to come up with their own interpretation of hazelnut and chocolate gelato, enriching the recipe with their own local ingredients: the first round will take place on Monday 29 November, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the 61st edition of the MIG trade fair at Longarone Fiere Dolomiti (28 November - 1 December 2021), while the second round will take place on Monday 24 January 2022 at the 43rd Sigep at the IEG trade fair in Rimini (22-26 January). The Jury will be chaired by the President of Artglace and will be made up of four members, all experts working in the sector: quality control and assessment of the appearance of the tray will be followed by evaluation of the entries based on four fundamental parameters, in order of importance, namely flavour, structure, originality of the recipe and, lastly, the visual appeal of the tray. The winner will be crowned on Tuesday 25 January 2022, at 11 a.m. at SIGEP in Rimini, and their recipe for Flavour of the Year 2022, “Dolce Sinfonia” will become the official version (full rules available at www.gelato-day.com).
All of the updates you might need about the tenth edition of Gelato Day is available from the www.gelato-day.com website and on the official Gelato Day pages on Facebook (@24MarzoEuropeanGelatoDay), Instagram (@Gelato_Day) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/GelatoDay).
Gelato parlours throughout Italy and Europe have been invited to take part in the contest to decide the recipe for Flavour of the Year 2022 “Dolce Sinfonia” (Sweet Symphony) and to take part in the 2022 edition of Gelato Day by signing up at www.gelato-day.com and posting all of the events planned for the 24th March 2022.
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European Artisanal Gelato Day is the only day that the European Parliament has ever dedicated to a foodstuff. Celebrated on 24th March every year in countries all over Europe, with events, meetings and initiatives which aim to spread the culture of artisanal gelato, Gelato Day is a unique opportunity to contribute both to this product and to craft knowledge, as well as to the development of the gastronomic tradition in this sector. One feature of Gelato Day is Flavour of the Year, chosen each year by one of the participating countries – for this tenth edition of Gelato Day on 24 March 2022 it will be the turn of “Dolce Sinfonia” (“Sweet Symphony”), a hazelnut and chocolate gelato. The finest recipe will be chosen in a competition organized by Artglace in association with Longarone Fiere Dolomiti and Rimini Fiera (rules on the website).
www.gelato-day.com