Despite the pouring rain, the ice season officially opened on Tuesday. Given the mild weather, some shops had already opened their doors and now the start of the season has been officially announced by the Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ). The solemn ceremony took place in the Bortolotti ice cream parlor on Mariahilfer Straße in Vienna.
“We normally always open around the beginning of spring, around March 21,” said Andrew Nussbaumer, spokesperson for the ice cream parlor operators at the Chamber of Commerce. There is a trend for ice cream parlors to open earlier and earlier, provided the weather is good. Customers now want the ice cream season to start earlier. And the owners of the ice cream parlors are happy with that, because the earlier opening also increases annual turnover.
2024 dedicated to coffee and Liège waffles
At the official opening on Tuesday in Mariahilf, the Austrian and European ice cream of 2024 was also presented. The Austrian salons had chosen coffee ice cream as ice cream of the year. Coffee “is one of the drinks most often ordered in ice cream parlors,” says Nussbaumer.
The European ice cream of the year is “Liège waffles”. These have been selected by Belgium. This is vanilla-cinnamon ice cream with (salted) butter, topped with waffles. How the variety is implemented is up to the ice cream makers.
Ice cream maker from Upper Austria wins Grand Prix Gelato
“Local ice cream parlors produce a wide range of high-quality ice cream flavors. This is reflected, among other things, in the fact that our companies regularly achieve top rankings in ice competitions,” says Nussbaumer happily. The Grand Prix Gelato Austria 2024 took place last weekend. The victory went to Upper Austrian Stefan Mühlbacher. He managed to beat the approximately 80 strong Gelatieri competition and finished in first place with his hazelnut ice cream for Austria.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
