Mango, purple yam, pandan, yuzu, tofu - gelatos get an Asian spin
Regional masters of the Italian iced dessert take on the world in contest to find the best flavour
Two Asian teams have qualified to compete in Italy against the world's foremost gelato artisans for the title World's Best Gelato. They'll be joined by a team from Adelaide, Australia.
The regional gelato wizards triumphed in the Asia-Pacific heat of the Gelato World Tour competition, which travels the globe to track down the most perfectly executed flavour expressions of Italy's ultimate feel-good treat.
Held over three days last month at Singapore's Marina Bay Sands resort, the contest drew 16 teams from Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. More than 50,000 gelato lovers attended.
And forget about run-of-the-mill staples such as strawberry, and chocolate and hazelnut; the competitors packed in flavours that owed as much to the South China, Andaman and Java seas as to the Mediterranean.
Singaporean Sharon Tay from the island state's Momolato gelateria booked her ticket to the European home of gelato with a full-bodied "Good Ol' Days" rendering that she created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Singapore's independence. An Asian sensibility, Tay says, was an essential ingredient.
