Maestro gelatiere James Coleridge of Bella Gelateria has been voted best in North America, winning the Gelato World Tour North America competition with his protégé Salvatore Boccarossa.
James’ winning gelato flavour – salted pecan with Montmorency tart cherries and Tahitian vanilla – melted the hearts and taste buds of the judges and members of the public who gave him the winning vote. The award was handed out in Austin, Texas, and both James and Salvatore will go on to compete at the World Champion Finals in Rimini, Italy in September.
“I had great success in the past winning the 2012 Florence gelato festival using pecan, maple syrup and salt, so I decided to follow a similar strategy of combining sweetness with salt,” said James
After researching and talking to local chefs and food experts in Texas, James found that the most popular desserts were peach cobbler and pecan. Since the state lost their peach crop due to frost, he decided to focus on the pecan.
“We made the cherry sauce using the tart cherries and a touch of lemon for the acidity to give the flavour a lift, but the star of the show is the toasted pecans. The bouquet from the vanilla warms the palette and the pleasant salt taste wows you at the end.”
James considers himself a custodian of the old artisan way of making handcrafted gelato. Coleridge originally learned the art at the Carpigiani Gelato University in Anzola dell’Emilia, Italy.
He has won numerous international accolades over the years including 2014 International Gelato Master of the Year by Italy’s oldest gelato association. Bella Gelateria is located on the corner of Burrard and Cordova streets in downtown Vancouver. www.BellaGelateria.com
