Take a hot Sunday in May and add it to one of the most popular desserts that people know. It is an irresistible treat that unites all ages and all nationalities: ice cream. That’s why I took this decadent initiative to poke around the Ice Cream Festival Rome held in Rome May 15 – 18 at the Parco Della Musica auditorium.
The event was founded in 2010 in Florence with the idea of celebrating the origins of ice cream in that city. In 1559 Bernardo Buontalenti who was one of the most important architects at the time of the Medicis is also considered the inventor of Ice Cream. So Florence created the Ice Cream festival to celebrate this tradition. Its success was repeated this year in Rome where, for 4 days, both young and old have come together curious to find out what the festival was all about. The visitors enthusiastically enjoyed themselves at various tasting stations, demonstrations and the information given out by the pleasant and cheerful staff on hand. During the days of the event, there were educational activities; information, recipes, and above all contests between master ice cream makers.
In the main stand where you purchased the ticket at the price of € 12.00 buys you a coupon valid for tasting 4 of the 12 flavors competing in the contest for best ice cream and water in order to better perceive the different nuances of what we’re going to try. Plus a taste of nutella and an ice Cream by the famous Fabbri Ice Cream makers since 1905. ( for the real Ice Cream connoisseurs you can purchase a coupon for another 5 flavors for an extra € 6)
I chose to sample 4 flavors: Rome and its Environs , prepared with cottage cheese and berries, Sacher, prepared with chocolate and apricots, Greek yogurt , made with Greek yogurt enriched with nuts and cinnamon and finally Champagne Grape Catalan style.
The best, in my opinion, for presentation and taste was undoubtedly the first. And that’s what I voted for on the ballot that was given to me at the entrance. All attending were part of the popular jury. For participating in the vote we were rewarded upon submitting our ballots with another tasting for free! At the end of the fourth day, it seems that the popular jury chose my preferred Ice Cream Rome and its Environs as the best while the technical jury ruled best taste to be Champagne Grape Catalan Style. But the ice cream festival is not just about discovering new flavors I discovered workshop with the experts working on products famous all over the world. In fact at the nutella stand I was able to taste nutella ice cream. Definitely the best way to end my tour surrounded by these sweet flavors !
Gelato Festival 2014, however, does not end here. from May to August over one hundred ice cream makers will come together to compete for creativity and tastes in some of the most beautiful cities of Europe. The festival will become a travelling exhibition that will celebrate all things ice cream; its ingredients, production and culture. You can look for the next venue by visiting the site. I highly recommend the Ice Cream Festival Rome !
