Now, the humble Singapore Sling has become a gelato flavour. And members of the public will not only be able to try out this interesting Singapore Sling gelato tomorrow – at the Gelato World Tour 2.0 – but also have the chance to vote for it, as the ultimate winner of the World’s Best Gelato.
A sneak preview of what to expect tomorrow at the Gelato World Tour 2.0.
Singapore Sling will be a gelato flavour vying for the crown of World’s Best Gelato
The Singapore Sling will be just one of the 16 unique and unusual gelato flavours vying for the crown of the World’s Best Gelato at the Gelato World Tour – held from tomorrow until Sunday at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre. This intriguing local flavour was conceptualised by 23-year-old Charles Tan, the founder of Fat Cat Ice Cream Bar in Singapore.
Explained Tan, “I grew up drinking lots of Singapore Sling and I love the fruity flavour of the original one at Raffles Hotel, but I noticed that many people have misconceptions about it, that it tastes like cough syrup, because they are not tasting the original version. So I came up with this flavour to change the misconceptions of the traditional Singapore Sling. In my gelato, I will be trying to recreate the flavour using natural ingredients such as cherry liquor and Grenadine syrup. I hope that I will not make Singaporeans disappointed with my version of the Singapore Sling Gelato!”
A chef scooping out gelato for VIPs and members of the media.
Chendol Merdeka, another traditional Singaporean flavour will be showcased
Besides the Singapore Sling, another uniquely Singaporean flavour that will be appearing at the Gelato World Tour 2.0, will be the Chendol Merdeka, which had been developed by Marco Alfero, the founder of the Alfero Artisan Gelato shop, with several branches in Singapore.
Said Alfero, “We think Chendol is one of the most famous and traditional flavours in Singapore – apart from durian. But because we already have durian in our shop, we came up with a Chendol gelato for this competition. It is a very Singaporean flavour, so if you gave it to an Italian person, they probably would not know what it is. And we called the flavour, Chendol Merdeka, because Merdeka means independence, and so this is our special way of marking Singapore’s 50 years of independence this year.”
The Good ‘Ol Days Gelato Flavour Features Coconut Gula Melaka
Momolato chef and founder, Sharon Tay, also contributed another uniquely Singaporean flavour that visitors to the Gelato World Tour will be able to sample as well. She came up with Good ‘Ol Days. Said Tay, 35, of her flavour, “We use Coconut Gula Melaka as the base, and we add in sweet-salty ribbons of Gula Melaka caramel and crispy pieces of fried bean curd. I think these are all classic Singaporean ingredients and 2015, being Singapore’s 50th birthday, is all about nostalgia for Singapore. But at the same time, we will be doing a playful twist on these classic flavours – by making it into gelato – and to us, this represents the fact that Singapore is not just sticking to the past, but continues to innovate as we move forward as a nation.”
Besides these three very uniquely Singaporean gelato flavours, some of the other offerings that will also be part of the competition, include more international flavours such as Caramel & Almond Crunch, Burnt Butter with Toffee Almond Brittle, Beer with Ciambella and Roasted Walnut & Honey Crunch. These ones will cater to those who may have a less adventurous palate.
Chosen to showcase their specialty flavours after a strict selection process
Tan, Alfero and Tay are amongst 16 finalists who are showcasing their flavours at the event, because they have successfully passed a strict selection process where they were required to give their proposed flavours and recipes as well as the reasons why they had proposed their particular flavours.
They had been shortlisted by a jury – presided by Chef Kok Keong, Chef and founder of Sugar Daddy Group, Yeoh Wee Teck, a Columnist with The New Paper and renowned Luciana Polliotti, Journalist and Curator with the historical Gelato Museum Carpigiani.
Added Achille Sassoli, Director of the Gelato World Tour 2.0, “Our 16 Gelato artisans have vast experience and expertise. Many of the finalists were also able to bring out the nutritious potential of one of the world’s most popular desserts. For example, Gelato has around half of the fat content of typical industrial ice creams and is also high in proteins too. This is sure to be an exciting and fruitful competition.”
Yum! That’s a delicious gelato!
Visitors at the event will be able to taste all the 16 flavours for SGD24
During the three days of the Gelato World Tour 2.0, visitors will have the chance to taste all of the 16 flavours for SGD24 – as well as voting for their favourites. That’s because the tickets will be priced at SGD12 for a set of eight tasting portions – served in cones of 40 grams each.
Said Chef Jacopo Quaglia, 44, from +39 Gelato Bar in Circular Road – who will be a demonstrator of the Carpigiani University machines on display at the Gelato World Tour 2.0 in Singapore, “The visitors tasting the gelato at the event will actually have more than 60 per cent of the weight of the voting power. While there will be a technical jury that will choose the flavours based on the technicalities of the gelato, the public will also give their feedback – based on how much they are enjoying the various flavours.”
The technical jury will be headed by Chef Justin Quek, one of Asia’s most celebrated chefs and by the panel’s Vice President, Chef Christopher Christie, the Executive Chef of Marina Bay Sands. The top three flavours selected, will represent the Asia Pacific region at the Grand Finale of the Gelato World Tour 2.0, to be held in Rimini, Italy, in 2017.
Besides the gelato event, participants from the Singapore Bakery and Confectionary Championships will be showcasing their work. Here’s a sneak peek.
Hopes to make a positive impression with their gelato creations
And all of the gelato chefs definitely hope to make a positive impression with their innovative creations. Said Alfero, “I think that we have created a flavour to satisfy the palate of Singaporeans. They already know what Chendol is and most of the classic Italian gelato flavours such as pistachio and hazelnut are already available in our shop. I hope that visitors will love our effort to make something local for their taste.”
“And I hope this will give us an edge, because I’m sure Chendol gelato doesn’t exist at the moment. I think I am the first person to create it – and I hope Singaporeans who will be voting at the event from tomorrow onwards, will like it,” Alfrero added.
The results for the gelato competition will be announced around late Sunday afternoon.
Other interesting activities to take place during the next three days
Besides the 16 gelato makers showcasing their creative flavours, there will also be other interesting activities taking place during the three days of the Gelato World Tour. These include talks and educational workshops on the art of gelato tasting, a fun competition to create the “highest Gelato in the world” as well as a journey through time to reconstruct the history and story of sorbet and gelato.
Said Tay, “With this taking place here, it will open up people’s eyes to gelato making and seeing the large variety of gelato flavours that is possible, as well as the benefits of eating gelato compared to ice cream. I think this will be a big learning experience for the public and give gelato lots of exposure too. This event, which is taking place in Singapore for the very first time, is very exciting for me too, because not only is it in line with Singapore’s 50th birthday celebrations, but it also means that you won’t have to travel all the way to Italy to try some good gelato.
“Gelato making is very different to making ice cream, because it focuses on the freshness of the ingredients. For example, we use fresh coconut milk for our Good Ol’ Days flavour as well as premium Indonesian Javanese Gula Melaka so that the taste will be as good as possible. It is very important to use the freshest types of ingredients without any additives and you must pay attention to the texture of the gelato too,” Tay added. And she is indeed very excited about visitors to the Gelato World Fair learning all about this.
Indeed, gelato fans here in Singapore, will most definitely be in for a real treat for the next three days – beginning from tomorrow. Why was Singapore chosen as the first Asian destination, for the Gelato World Tour?
Another peep at the masterpieces designed by participants from the Singapore Bakery and Confectionary Championships.
Said Quaglia, “I think that Singaporeans are already mature enough to understand what is gelato, how it is made and how it is different to ice cream. The local people already have expertise on what type of gelato is good and what is not. So I hope that by having the Gelato World Tour here in Singapore, it will give the people the possibility to improve even more on their judging skills and to spread the word around Singapore. Gelato, after all, is a nourishment – not a dessert – and my wish is for people here to be able to appreciate gelato, 365 days a year.”
“We chose Singapore in particular because it is a food hub in the South East Asian region and everyone sees Singapore as the country to emulate and follow. So we think that the visibility that these types of events will have in Singapore, will be much higher than any other place in South East Asia,” Quaglia continued.
The Gelato World Tour is part of Cafe Asia 2015
The Gelato World Tour is a part of Cafe Asia 2015, which is Singapore’s largest show dedicated purely to coffee, tea, baked goods and confectionary. Cafe Asia, taking place from today until Saturday at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, will gather more than 100 exhibitors from 20 countries and span 6,000 square metres over the three days of the event.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the opening of Cafe Asia.
And at Cafe Asia, visitors will be able to take part in exclusive workshops, classes and demonstrations on the latest technologies, techniques and trends. One of the main highlights will be a competition where the best brewers and latte artists will compete for the Singapore National Latte Art Championships 2015 and the inaugural Singapore National Brewers Cup 2015 titles. The winner of the respective competitions will also get the chance to represent Singapore at the world stage. Furthermore, visitors will also be able to get a glimpse of the amazing creations prepared by participants of the Singapore Bakery and Confectionary Championships.
Said Victor Mah, the President of the Singapore Coffee Association, “Since the launch of Cafe Asia in 2013, we are delighted to see the accelerated growth of a vibrant coffee culture in Singapore. The coffee industry in Singapore and the region, is witnessing a heightened demand for the production of high quality coffee which is now appreciated as an artisanal food like wine, and not just a commodity.”
Gelato World Tour 2.0 is held at
Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre B2
Exhibition Hall D
Fridy 20th to Sunday 22 March 2015
12.00pm to 9.00pm
For more information, please visit http://www.gelatoworldtour.com
Leave a Comment