Say Aloha to Gelato! Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream. Italy has always been connected to the best ice-cream in the world and has always been a tourism attraction for visitors to Italy. A German man residing in the U.S. State of Hawaii is taking on Italy to have the United States to become the next global travel destination for the best ice cream in the world. He already introduced a new tourism attraction for Gelato in his home State of Hawaii.
Dirk Koeppenkastrop announces his team members selected for Team USA, which will compete for the 2016 World Gelato Championship title.The organizer of the 7th edition of the Gelato World Cup just released a list of countries admitted.
The United States is one of fourteen countries from around the world competing for the world title. Other countries competing for the best Gelato in the world are Argentina, Australia, Chile, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Singapore, Spain, and Switzerland.
The 2016 Team USA Gelato team members are:
-John S. Hui, CEPC, AAC – Team Manager – Corporate Pastry Chef – Pebble Beach Resorts, Calfornia
– Dirk Koeppenkastrop, Ph.D. – Team Captain – Maestro Gelatiere / Owner – IL Gelato, LLC – Honolulu and Haleiwa, Hawaii
– Michele Pompei – Lead Team Pastry Chef – Baking & Pastry Instructor – Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Art, Seattle, Washington
– Tim Brown, B.A. –Team Pastry Chef – Baking & Pastry Instructor – Johnson & Wales University, Providence, Rhode Island
– Chris Foltz –World Champion Ice Carver – Culinary Instructor – Oregon Coast Culinary Institute, Oregon.
The five-member team was formed under the American Culinary Federation Chapter from Oregon.
“We are very excited to have world class and competitive chefs and one of the world’s best ice carver on our team” Koeppenkastrop, owner of IL Gelato Hawaii in Haleiwa on Oahu’s North Shore said.
John Hui is the Executive Pastry Chef of the Pebble Beach Resort, and founded the Gelato Team USA in 2005.
The other team members, Michele Pompei and Tim Brown, are highly decorated and experienced pastry chefs. Chris Foltz is not only an experienced chef but holds three ice carving and four wood carving world champion titles.
Since 2006 the USA has participated in seven gelato world competitions. Gelato Team USA has received “Best Gelato Cake” award in 2006 and “Best Gelato Tub” award in 2008.
Team USA received the International “Best Taste Award” and the “People’s Choice Award” in 2012. The international main sponsors for Gelato Team USA includes the Italian gelato ingredient manufacturer Stella and the Italian gelato equipment manufacturer Cattabriga – both major names in the gelato making industry.
The World Gelato Championship – a highly prestigious event in the culinary industry – is held every two years as part of the International Exhibition of Artisan Gelato, Confectionery and Bakery Goods in Rimini, Italy.
The Championships will take place from the 23th to the 25th of January 2016.
Each team will choose a theme, which has to be reflected in seven different championship tests including a decorated “coppa” (sundae), gelato cake, four assorted miniature chocolate gelatos, an entrée serving a savory gelato, a center piece croccante sculpture as well as an ice sculpture and its final presentation. The contest marked by a growing interest from around the world is streamed live in Italian and English for the duration of the event.
Isle chef Dirk Koeppenkastrop past Chair of the Hawaii Restaurant Association is founder and co-owner of IL Gelato Hawaii, an authentic Italian-style Gelateria at Kahala Mall, Kalihi and owner of his new Gelato shop on the North Shore Market Place in Haleiwa.
