Erik and Hermien Kuiper from Deurningen in Northern Twente won the European ice cream-making championships this year in Bologna, and now they are trying their luck at a world title.
The world ice cream-making championships will be held in Rimini, Italy, where a panel of seven judges will decide who takes home the title of world’s best ice-cream. Only those who placed first, second and third in the European championships go through to the world championships. This ensures a fair representation of all of the continents at the championship.
Competitors must bring around 180 to 200 kilos of ice cream to the challenge. The judges however, do not have to eat themselves sick, as the championship is combined with an ice cream trade fair. Around 30.000 to 60.000 people are expected to visit the fair, and each visitor has a vote as well.
Fresh ice cream is always the tastiest, and this is why Erik and Hermien will be bringing their raw ingredients to the championships to make their ice cream there.
They will be travelling in a special refrigerated vehicle full of fresh milk from their Jersey cows and walnuts and honey produced in Twente. The couple will be using these ingredients to make their award-winning raspberry, honey, and walnut yoghurt-ice cream.
Erik and Hermien will be pulling out all the stops in the competition to ensure that their ice cream really wows. Fresh honeycomb will be added to the ice cream as a finishing touch, but the recipe has not been tweaked in any way since the European championship.