Gelato World Tour Japan: The 12 Finalists From Tokyo

Gelato World Tour Japan found its finalists in April 2019. On 3 and 4 April in Tokyo, 25 artisans from across Japan competed in the Carpigiani Challenge, the semifinal organised by Carpigiani Gelato University and Sigep, the international trade show for artisan gelato, pastry, bakery and coffee.

The 12 finalists

Eleven finalists, plus the winner of the 4th Gelato Maestro Contest, qualified for the Yokohama final. The flavours were:

1. “Allamanda” by Michiko Akamatsu, Royal Farm Akamatusu, Kagawa
2. “Mascarpone with salt from Awaji island with sweet sakè perfumed with kumquat” by Keisuke Katayama, Arima Gelateria Stagione, Hyogo
3. “Chocolate gelato with lime and toasted black tea” by Tomoyuki Kishimoto, Dream Hill, Hokkaido
4. “Milk and Houjicha hazelnuts” by Kinichi Takano, Wabisabiya, Gunma
5. “Tropical summer holidays” by Madoka Higa, Fontana Gelato, Okinawa
6. “Pineapple and ricotta” by Erika Fujita, Yokohama Sorairo, Kanagawa
7. “Setoka orange and passion fruit with pistachio and chocolate spread” by Tomoko Fuse, Gelato Masumo, Tochigi
8. “Rosemary and honey with berries” by Aiko Matsumoto, Gelateria Santi, Kanagawa
9. “Red Beauty” by Tomoyuki Munehisa, Patisserie Café L’Oiseau Bleu, Yamaguchi
10. “Sayoko” by Tomomi Morikane, Tomomi Gelato, Kyoto
11. “Kuromoji milk perfumed with forest spices” by Hidenobu Yamamoto, Gelato Daigozakura, Okayama
12. “Salad Gelato”, meant to be eaten like a meal, by Eriko Osawa of Narukorin, a vegetable gelateria in Miyagi. She won the 4th Gelato Maestro Contest, sponsored by the Japan Gelato Association.

The Gelato World Tour Yokohama 2019 final was set for 31 August and 1 September at the Great Pier Hall, Yokohama Port Osanbashi International in Kanagawa. The event committee was Gelato World Tour Japan 2019.

Comments from the organisers

Flavia Morelli, Food & Beverage Group Brand Manager at Italian Exhibition Group, noted that many Japanese professionals attend Sigep and that Japanese representatives have won several competitions in recent years, so the work of Japanese artisans is becoming better known. She said she looked forward to seeing world-class Japanese gelato in Yokohama.

Kaori Ito, Director of Carpigiani Gelato University, a Japanese native living in Bologna, said she was very proud of the 12 selected flavours and the artisans who created them.

What this means for gelato makers in Australia

The finalists drew on local ingredients such as houjicha, kumquat and Setoka orange. You can do the same with regional produce in Australia. Start with Carpigiani gelato machines and look at Gelato University training to refine your recipes.

Source: Carpigiani news. Rewritten for Australia by Majors Group.