The Carpigiani Challenge made a stop in Indianapolis on 5 March 2019, where 10 chefs competed in two categories, one for ice cream and one for gelato. A jury of experts and journalists chose the winning flavours from the ten entries.

The winning flavours

The event was hosted by Van Treese & Assoc. at its annual Open House, held on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras).

• Ice Cream Category: “Cherry Amaretto Crunch” by Dan Marinkovich, an Indianapolis chef. It was a delicate chocolate ice cream balanced with Disaronno Amaretto liqueur.
• Gelato Category: “Sofia in the City” by Hattie McDaniel of Cunningham Restaurant Group in Indianapolis. It started from a goat’s milk base, with real honeycomb and honeycomb crunch cookies, topped with local Sophia goat’s cheese aged in ash.

Where the winners go next

Ice cream winners are invited to the American Ice Cream Final, an event planned for New York City to celebrate American-style ice cream. Entries were judged on flavour, creativity, structure and consistency, covering ingredient choice, recipe craft and mouthfeel.

Gelato winners are invited to the American Finale of Gelato Festival America, scheduled for 2020, for a chance to represent North America at the 2021 World Final. Gelato was judged on flavour, structure, creativity and presentation, including the visual impact of the finished product.

The jury was made up of Denis Destaic, head chef at the Wood Stock Club country club, and Alex Fuentes and Trent Regal, both sous chefs in the culinary program at IU Health North.

What this means for gelato makers in New Zealand

Competitions like this show how far a strong base and good technique can take a flavour. Majors Group can help you build that foundation with artisan gelato machines from Carpigiani and ingredients from Rubicone, plus training through Carpigiani Gelato University.

Source: Carpigiani news. Rewritten for New Zealand by Majors Group.