The wait is over! The list of North American finalists of Gelato Festival World Masters - the premier international competition for gelato, sponsored by Carpigiani and Sigep - Italian Exhibition Group – is now complete.

On May 7. at the Carpigiani North America Headquarters in High Point, N.C., the second North American Semifinal competition concluded, selecting five gelato makers who will advance to the Fi-nals, to be held on August 30 and 31, 2025, in Los Angeles. The event was made possible thanks to the support of sponsor IRCA Group.

Taste, texture, creativity, and aesthetic/verbal presentation were the four parameters by which the ar-tisanal gelatos were evaluated, based upon the choice of ingredients, the artisans' mastery in devel-oping the recipe and their ability to communicate. The gelatos were evaluated on sight, taste, and smell.

A complete list of participants appears on the final page of this release.

The five finalists, selected after two years of competition in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, are:

First Place
Tassia Vicentin Rezende of Tre Cuori Gelateria & Açaí in Ellisville, Mo., with the flavor “Arachidi”
Description: All-natural peanut butter gelato with crunchy peanuts and dulce de leche, topped with Belgian chocolate.

Second Place
Mohammad Alqawasmi of Bazaria in Plano, Texas, with the flavor “Fig Krokan”
Description: Almond gelato with caramelized figs and almonds.

Third Place
Francia Magsaysay of Francy’s Artisanal Ice Cream in Bergenfield, N.J., with the flavor “Passion Fruit, Yuzu and White Chocolate”
Description: Passion fruit and yuzu gelato swirled with white chocolate gelato variegated with passion fruit reduction.

Fourth Place
Juan Antonio Coyoli Maciel of Super Creamy in Mexico City, Mexico, with the flavor “Lisi”
Description: Sweet pumpkin gelato with a swirl of coffee, cinnamon, butter and rum, topped with pumpkin seeds.

Fifth Place
Stefania Pede from Cocoa 40 Inc. in Newmarket, Ontario, with the flavor “Sea Turtle”
Description: A malt-infused gelato base with a salted coconut caramel sauce with 70% dark chocolate and roasted pecans.

The jury was composed of:
-    Steve Christensen, Self-appointed Headmaster of Scoop School in Wildwood, Mo. and Exec-utive Director of National Ice Cream Association;
-    Patrizia Pasqualetti, CEO of Patrizia Gelato (five locations across the US);
-    Andia Xouris, CEO of Andia’s Ice Cream in Cary, N.C.;
-    Keith Gardiner, ACF Triad Chapter N.C. representative.

The next step for the gelato makers is the North American Finals, where they will compete with the five finalists already selected in the first Semifinal, held in 2023:
•    Golan Chetrit of Noi Due Gelato in New York City with the flavor "Halva Nagila"
•    Gabriele di Marco of Oretta Restaurant in Toronto, Ontario, with the flavor "Sapori di Sicilia"
•    Maria Liliana Biondo of uGOgelato in Cincinnati, Ohio, with the flavor "Mandorland"
•    Melanie Wolf of Pompelmo Gelateria in Westerly, R.I., with the flavor "Taste the Tropics"
•    Giuseppe Lollino of Vero Coffee & Gelato in Franklin Park, Ill., with the flavor "Tribute to Setteveli"

With the 2022-25 edition, Gelato Festival World Masters reaches its sixteenth year of activity, having made its debut in Florence, Italy, in 2010. Since then, the event has broadened its horizons, expand-ing first throughout Italy, then in Europe and – since 2017 –in the United States. The event went global with the Gelato Festival World Masters world championship which, in its 2018-2021 edition, involved more than 3,500 gelato makers.  

GELATO FESTIVAL WORLD MASTERS
2nd North American Semifinal
May 7, 2025
Carpigiani North America HQ
High Point, N.C.

WINNERS:

First Place
Tassia Vicentin Rezende of Tre Cuori Gelateria & Açaí in Ellisville, Mo., with the flavor “Arachidi”

Second Place
Mohammad Alqawasmi of Bazaria in Plano, Texas, with the flavor “Fig Krokan”

Third Place
Francia Magsaysay of Francy’s Artisanal Ice Cream in Bergenfield, N.J., with the flavor “Passion Fruit, Yuzu and White Chocolate”

Fourth Place
Juan Antonio Coyoli Maciel of Super Creamy in Mexico City with the flavor “Lisi”

Fifth Place
Stefania Pede from Cocoa 40 Inc. in Newmarket, Ontario, with the flavor “Sea Turtle”

OTHER PARTICIPANTS, IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

•    Jason Corosanite of Café Vine in Philadelphia with the flavor “Pineapple Upside Down”

•    Anna Crucitt of Mercurio’s in Pittsburgh with the flavor “Caramel Coffee Crunch”

•    María De Los Ángeles Morales of Gelato Shop in Xalapa, Mexico, with the flavor '’Besos de Fresa’'

•    Lara El Alam of Divino in Georgetown, Ont., with the flavor “Molassini”

•    Agustin Gimenez of Quore Gelato in Miami Beach with the flavor “Cheestacchio Yuzu Dream”

•    Alfonso Jarero of Ozio in Mexico City with the flavor “Alicia”

•    Irvin Jiménez of Cuina in Mexico City with the flavor “Bocado de Flores”

•    Anna Rose Lim of Amorcita Gelateria in Mexico City with the flavor “Coffee Cardamomo & Orange Blossom”

•    Martin Littkermann from The Buff Stuff Store in Stirling, Ont., with the flavor “Vanilla”

•    Miguel Lopez of Naranja Piña Gelato in Miami with the flavor “Mojito”

•    Carlotta Orrico of Delicious in Weston, Fla., with the flavor “Delizioso”

•    Dora Posada of Casa Morgana Gelatos in San Antonio, Texas, with the flavor “Morgana’s Goat Spell”

•    Karyn Pumphrey of Gelato Queen in Monroe, Ga., with the flavor “Caramel Apple Bourbon”

•    Vincenzo Tettamanti of Gemelli Artisan Gelato in West Chester, Pa., with the flavor “Fresh Ricotta, Rosemary and Raw Honey”

•    Onur Yimaz of Ice Creamonology in Toronto with the flavor “Mastic & Passion”

•    Gisella Zomparelli Chung of Gelato North in Toronto with the flavor “Dubai Chocolate”