words by Pierangela Zandanel
Italians facing up rising prices and austerity are seriously giving up on their traditional long holidays and leisurely lunches. But even who hasn’t got a sweet tooth hardly choose to refuse a little bit of sweetness amid the daily stress.
As the nation's ice-cream makers meet this week for their there is evidence that millions of Italians are refusing to sacrifice their gelato.
"Spending on ice-cream in 2011 showed no change on previous years" said Marco Forcellino, a spokesman for the expo, where the usual 100,000 visitors will find a variety of innovation beyond any wild desire. This year among the 36,000 ice-cream makers everyone will be able to find something to meet their own taste. From a new focus on classics such as chocolate to the new trends such as rice-based cinnamon ice-cream, seaweed flavour and a salted mushroom variety to eat with main courses.
Ice-cream makers from 10 nations will square off in competition with rounds involving best cone, best ice-cream dessert and best ice-cream sculpture.
Last year the expo entered the record books with a 3-metre (10ft) high ice-cream cone, while in this edition organisers are showing off an 800kg (1,700lb) chocolate" as large as a desk", they claim.
An increasing part of the expo is dedicated to cake and pastry makers, who during the recent downturn are providing their own sweet relief to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, with sales of pandoro and panettone cakes rising 6% at Christmas.
At its 33rd edition, Sigep is acknowledged as one of the world’s most important exhibitions and a primary European showcase for both confectionery and bakery artisans.
Dates: 21-25 January 2012
Organizers: Rimini Fiera SpA
Admittance: trade members only
Tickets: 31 euros
Hours: 9.30 am - 6.30 pm
Visitor info: +39 0541 744249
