Photograph courtesy GELATO FESTIVAL WORLD MASTERS
Last month was the end of a long but ultimately satisfying journey for uGOgelato owner Maria Liliana Biondo to both qualify for and attend the Gelato Festival World Masters Grand Finale in Las Vegas. The finale was the last stop in a four-year journey that began in 2022 and included three qualifying rounds against some of the world’s best gelato masters.
After taking third place in the Chicago regional competition in 2022, Biondo clinched a trip to the semi-finals in Los Angeles in 2023, then the American finals in Los Angeles this past summer, where she again placed in the top three out of 10 competitors, securing her spot to the 2026 Gelato World Finals.
In Las Vegas, Biondo competed against other industry standouts over the course of three days, from March 24-26. And, although she didn’t quite make it to the top, Biondo could not be more proud of her journey.
Photograph courtesy GELATO FESTIVAL WORLD MASTERS
“While we didn’t place in the top three, my heart is completely full,” she says. “To represent the United States in what is essentially the Olympics of gelato is a victory in itself. I am incredibly proud of the entry I presented; it was a true reflection of my heritage and my craft. Standing on that world stage confirmed that we are doing something special here in Cincinnati.”
Although historically the Gelato Festival takes place in Italy, this year’s finale was moved to Vegas on relatively short notice when the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) decided to combine the festival with the International Pizza Expo, Biondo explained.
In moving the finale stateside, ITA brought the SIGEP (Italian for Salone Internazionale Gelateria, Pasticceria, Panificazione Artigianali e Caffè or the International Exhibition for Artisan Gelato, Pastry, Bakery and Coffee) trade show to the American market for the first time.
“Gelato is a cultural pillar in Europe, but it is still growing in the States. It was incredibly exciting to be part of such a significant movement and to help bridge that gap between Italian tradition and the American market,” Biondo says. “It was an honor to represent the USA alongside 34 of the top chefs from around the world.”
Photograph courtesy GELATO FESTIVAL WORLD MASTERS
Biondo says she didn’t feel as though she was in a competition, but rather at “the beautiful end of a long cycle.” This mantra carried her through a stressful three days, where she focused on viewing everyone as a colleague rather than a rival.
“How can you call a 70-year-old master who has lived and breathed gelato since his 20s a competitor?” she explains. “He is a mentor. I focused on learning from other cultures and seeing how different ingredients inspire different chefs [and] each of them gave me something new to bring home to my own kitchen.”
Photograph courtesy GELATO FESTIVAL WORLD MASTERS
Every chef was required to create an original gelato recipe for the duration of the tournament or risk disqualification. Biondo’s gelato entry, her popular MandorLand gelato, is a 100 percent vegan gelato crafted with natural, toasted and bitter Sicilian almonds, 70 percent cocoa Venezuelan chocolate, Sicilian blood orange glaze, Sicilian almond nougat and a Sicilian orange zest spray.
Other entries’ flavor profiles varied widely, from a white coffee, mandarin, vanilla and tonka bean gelato to a yogurt gelato with a beer wort swirl, cereal crumble, cooked apples and honey and everything in between. And while taste may be subjective, the connections that unite the industry are objectively real.
“My biggest takeaway is that gelato is a universal language,” Biondo says. “I realized that while technique is vital, the story behind the flavor is what truly connects with people. I’m returning home with a renewed commitment to authenticity and a deeper appreciation for the global community that keeps this craft alive.”
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