Hungary’s 3 Best Gelato Artisans of 2024 Named in Budapest

Gelato Festival World Masters visited Hungary for the third year running, and Budapest chose three gelato artisans to go through to the 2025 Hungarian Finals.

The Budapest round

The third Hungarian stop on the four-year calendar was held in Budapest on 5 March 2024 during SIRHA Budapest, the international trade show organised by Hungexpo. Sixteen Hungarian gelato makers took part, and the local Carpigiani distributor hosted. The championship is run with strategic partners Carpigiani and Sigep – Italian Exhibition Group.

Entries were judged on flavour, structure, creativity, and verbal and aesthetic presentation, covering ingredient choice, the maker’s skill in developing and explaining the recipe, and the overall result through sight, taste and smell.

The winners

• First place: Balázs Damniczki of Damniczki Cukraszda, Székesfehérvár, with “Burrata alla Frutta”: burrata cheese gelato with passion fruit and mango coulis and a lemon and almond cookie crumble.
• Second place: Éva Heléna Marsa of Vanília&Gelarto, Nagykőrös, with “Sikkes citromligetes pisztáciával”: citrus gelato made with Madagascar vanilla, layered with bergamot candied citrus variegate and a piquant salty pistachio crunchy praline.
• Third place: Balázs Baranyi of Hisztéria Cremeria, Budapest, with “Passione per la Nocciola”: a creamy hazelnut gelato with passion fruit.

The jury was Árpád Szűcs (pastry chef, Four Seasons Hotel Budapest), József Juhos (pastry chef and founder of Sug’art) and Sándor Fodor (pastry chef and winner of the “Hungary Cake” contest).

Other participants

• Éva Lovász, Cloud9, Budapest: “Körte – Dió – Sajt”
• Renato Barile, I Love Gelato, Budapest: “Come mi Piace”
• Attila Bartos, Nasi Fagylaltozó, Budapest: “Mákos Guba”
• Andrea Koncz, Sissi Fagylalt, Balatonakarattya: “Bacio Ungherese”
• Attila Vikor, Vikor Kézműves Cukrászda, Tata: “Zanzibello”
• Kristóf Sándor, Bécsi Kávéház és Cukrászda, Győr: “Poppy Love”
• Attila Pálfi, Vitorlás Fagyizó, Balatonmáriafürdő: “Kesu”
• Virág Aida Wilheimné Agoudan, Pingvin Fagyizó & Cukrászda, Balatonmáriafürdő: “Mogyoró Mocca Mese”
• Balázs Papp, Mester Étterem, Cukrászda, Marcali: “Tojáslikőrös Diótorta”
• Bettina Kerekes, Kiskerekes Cukrászda, Hajdúböszörmény: “L’Amore in un Gelato”
• Ferenc Eszenyi, Centrum Fagyizó, Balmazújváros: “Sáfrányos Vanilia Szeder-Birs Chutneyval”
• Szabolcs Csizmadia, Hóvirág Fagylaltbár, Orosháza: “Maci”
• Jenő Vadócz, Promenád Kávéház, Balatongyörök: “Macadáma”

Background

With the 2022-25 edition, Gelato Festival World Masters reached its thirteenth year. It debuted in Florence in 2010, inspired by the first gelato recipe, created by the architect Bernardo Buontalenti in 1559, then spread across Italy, Europe and, from 2017, the United States, before going worldwide as a championship that drew more than 3,500 gelato makers.

What this means for gelato makers in Australia

Winning gelato blends strong technique with quality ingredients. Majors Group can support makers in Australia with Carpigiani gelato machines, Rubicone ingredients and Carpigiani Gelato University programmes.

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