2019 Winners of the First LA-Based Gelato Festival America

(Gerry Furth-Sides, photos, content courtesy of Gelato Festival America) Gelato Festival America, now in its third year, celebrated its first West Hollywood’s edition this weekend at Pacific Design Center. The mission of Gelato Festival America is to spread the culture of artisanal gelato throughout the United States by holding events in four cities this summer. The winner of the contest for best flavor at this Festival was Seamist by Stefano Mosi of Mosi in Victoria, BC Canada. Other prizewinners included Purple clouds by Alfonso Jarero of Ozio in Mexico City, Mexico and Italian Romance by Antonio Arminio of Gelato Go in Beverly Hills, CA.

– 1st place winner of the West Hollywood festival, Stefano Mosi (Instagram: @mosigelato), received a beautiful medal by Florentine goldsmith Paolo Penko, presented by PreGel, the official supplier of gelato ingredients for Gelato Festival America. The Seamist flavor was a hit with the Public Jury, composed of ticket-holding guests, as well as the Technical Jury of 14 professional judges. Mosi describes his winning flavor as a “herbal tea sorbetto of mint, lemongrass and seaweed with the addition of fresh mint leaves and lime”.

– Second place went to Purple clouds, lychee with organic hibiscus infusion and whole raspberries, by Alfonso Jarero (Instagram: @ozio.gelateria) of Ozio in Mexico City, Mexico.

– Third place went to Italian Romance, a gelato made with water from organic handmade roses wrapped in a mixture of variegated blueberries with wild berry spice for an elegant romantic and healthy taste, by Antonio Arminio (Instagram: @gelatogo_southbeach) of Gelato Go in Beverly Hills, CA.

Held in collaboration with strategic partners Carpigiani Frozen Dessert University and Sigep – Italian Exhibition Group, Global Partner Air Italy, Main Sponsors PreGel and WhyGelato.com, and Technical Sponsor ISA, Gelato Festival West Hollywood 2019 has produced a winner to continue the competition and enter a flavor in Gelato Festival American Final 2020. It’s the World Cup of gelato, a journey with hundreds of trials and thousands of flavors over four years on five continents! The WeHo artisans created and served more than two tons of gelato to thousands of guests over this weekend in at Pacific Design Center using cups by Packaging Sponsor Stanpac.

Special Mentions:

– Technical Jury: Tropical Cowboy (mango pineapple with candied jalapeños AKA”Cowboy Candy” and citrus highlights), by Ashley Westwood of Bibo Freddo Gelato in Reno, NV. The Technical Jury prize is awarded to the professional judging panel’s favorite flavor (with no consideration given to the popular vote by all ticket-holding guests). Each gelato is judged based on presentation, flavor, structure, creativity, and articulation.

– Popular Jury: Sunshine Spicy (the citrusy freshness of oranges and spicy heat of cinnamon) by Riccardo Barbarossa of Zona Blu in Weston, FL. The Popular Jury prize is awarded to the flavor that was preferred by the general admission guests (not counting the professional judging panel).

This weekend was the culmination of a fantastic first WeHo Gelato Festival presented by Pacific Design Center where thousands of people enjoyed authentic Italian gelato and voted for their favorites. Guests enjoyed demonstrations, contests and games, ceremonies and most importantly, tasting the artisanal gelato.