The main event of the year dedicated to artisanal ice cream returns to Palermo, a splendid Sicilian capital with an unsurpassed gastronomic tradition. The Sherberth Festival will be held from 8 to 11 November 2024 in the name of hospitality, exchange and, above all, inclusiveness, as has repeatedly emphasized the patron Davide Alamia.
And inclusiveness is expressed through the desire of every ice cream maker, Italian and not, to participate either to preside over a unique event, or to compete for the title of best ice cream in the world, Meeting with exceptional and experienced colleagues with whom they share the same passion: the value of ice cream, synonymous with true happiness.
All the names this year
The Sherberth family, from year to year, is enriched with leading figures and relevance in the field of ice cream. The entries, coming from all over the world, are increasingly numerous and the ice cream makers, once in the field, can propose a taste for visitors and another exclusively to the jury that, at the end, will award the best.
For the 2024 edition, among the judges present are Nerina di Nunzio, lecturer of the course of Gastronomic Sciences, Uni Roma Tre; Massimiliano Magli and Stefano Pedrieri, CNR; Pamela Francescato, journalist of the foreign press association in Italy. The presentation, instead, is entrusted to Giuseppe Calabrese.
The conditions for Sherbeth to stand out from all other competitions are there, as stated by Antonio Cappadonia, technical director: “Sherbeth is not a classic and aseptic competition now it is a large family of professionals spread around the world. Because every year, those who participated in the competition, want to come back. Even if not selected. Or to help the organization, or just to enjoy the backstage. And maybe – he concludes – it was just what we wanted when we invented this contest almost 20 years ago”.
Alongside Cappadonia, other historical names of Sherbeth emerge, such as Vittorio Pasquetti and Arnaldo Conforto, members of the technical committee, together with Giovanna Musumeci, daughter of the renowned Santo Musumeci, among the greatest gelato masters of all Italy who have recently died.
Among the production assistants, however, this year again old acquaintances of the Festival are confirmed, such as Ilaria Guerrieri, Stefano Cecconi, Ilenia Zoli, Vincenzo Lenci and Chiara Spalluto.
The programme of Sherbeth Festival 2024
The Gelato Festival will be held in the heart of Palermo, between Piazza Verdi and Via Maqueda, opposite the Teatro Massimo that will host numerous “collateral” events all with free admission. Visitors can enjoy at least 50 different flavors of ice cream, representing all the Italian regions and beyond, ranging from the taste cheescake to red fruits to the ice cream to Martina Franca’s bocconotto, passing for an original ice cream with Japanese black pepper.
Not only, because those who want to can attend engaging cooking shows dedicated to ice cream with starred chefs like Giuseppe Raciti of Zash and content creator like Ruben Bondì, or discover beautiful stories of redemption born precisely thanks to the passion for ice cream. One of the novelties of this year, in fact, is the collaboration with some agricultural cooperatives that operate in confiscated land to mafia and ‘ndrangheta.
And precisely the fight against illegality will be discussed in the Painting Room of the Teatro Massimo on 9 November from 21.00. For the occasion, Giovanna Musumeci will prepare a taste of ice cream live in company with Roberto Lipari, well-known conductor from Palermo and protagonist of several films, Francesco Citarda, of the cooperative Placido Rizzotto, Fabio Nicola, from the cooperative Cascina Caccia and Carmelo Pollichino, of the association Libera contro le Mafie.
The evening will end with the intervention of Antonello Cracolici, president of the Antimafia Commission at the Sicilian Regional Assembly, Before proceeding with the tasting of all those ice creams produced only and exclusively with ingredients from the lands confiscated from the mafia.
And finally, the Cuto Trophy
Obviously, Sheberth Festival is still a competition that, at the end, will see only one winner: among the 50 flavors of ice cream presented will be elected, in fact, the best to which, on the evening of November 10, will be given the coveted trophy entitled to Francesco Procopio Cutò, the famous gelatiere from Palermo who founded the first ice cream shop in the world, “Le Procopie”.
In short, the new edition of the Ice Cream Festival of Palermo promises to be full of interesting and extremely tasty events, involving different cultures and traditions without, however, renouncing tradition. We are waiting for ice cream makers from all over the world, ready to bring their experience and desire to get involved, all with a single goal: to enhance the ice cream and emphasize once again how little it takes to taste freedom.
For further information and to purchase tickets, please visit https://sherbeth.it/.
Copertina : Pixabay
