Taiwan’s Sylvia Chao Wins World’s Best Gelato in Italy with Luce d’Oolong

A standout scoop in Sicily

Taiwanese gelato maker Sylvia Chao of Changhua County has won first prize at the Sherbeth International Artisan Gelato Festival in Palermo, Sicily. Her flavor, “Luce d’Oolong,” inspired by Taiwan’s oolong tea, rose to the top of a field of 50 artisans from around the world at the festival’s 17th edition. The win is the first for a Taiwanese entrant and it drew praise from both judges and the public for a flavor that felt both original and rooted in tradition.

Set in historic Palermo, Sherbeth has grown into one of the most visible showcases for artisan gelato. The event features open tastings, demos and a formal competition where professionals present flavors that combine careful technique with a clear sense of place. Visitors queue to sample from competitors, while judges evaluate texture, aroma, flavor definition and stability. The title often sets a benchmark for the craft each year, since it signals where innovation is heading and which ideas are shaping new tastes.

Chao runs Mountain in Blue Gelato on Lukang’s old street in central Taiwan. Her shop is known for using local ingredients and for a menu that changes with seasons. Her work already drew national attention when her gelato was chosen to serve to foreign guests at Taiwan’s National Day reception in 2023. Winning in Sicily adds a new chapter to that story and places a Taiwanese tea profile on one of gelato’s most respected stages.

Inside Luce d’Oolong: how tea became a winning scoop

Oolong tea sits between green and black tea in terms of oxidation. Taiwanese producers have refined many styles of oolong, from lightly oxidized high mountain teas with floral aromas to medium roasted teas with a deeper mineral tone. That range gives a maker flexibility. The same leaves can show bright blossom notes, gentle sweetness and a clean finish, or lean into roasted hints and a firmer structure.

How tea translates to gelato

Turning tea into gelato starts with capturing aroma. Artisans often steep tea in warm milk or cream, adjust time and temperature to control extraction, then build a balanced base. Too much infusion can push bitterness. Too little can flatten the flavor. The fat in dairy carries aromatics, while sugar, milk solids and stabilizers help create a dense, smooth texture with fine ice crystals. The best tea gelato keeps a clear taste of leaves while staying creamy and refreshing.

Luce d’Oolong stands out because the flavor reads true to tea and true to gelato at the same time. The floral top note arrives first, the mineral line gives shape, and the sweetness sits in the background. Judges and visitors responded to that balance, which is hard to achieve since tea can be volatile and delicate when frozen.

Who is Sylvia Chao?

Chao is a Changhua native whose shop sits along Lukang’s historic old street, a destination known for red brick facades, temples and street snacks. In that setting she built a small gelato kitchen that favors seasonal fruit, nuts, grains and tea grown in Taiwan. Her approach combines classic gelato technique with ingredients that reflect local farms and hillsides.

Her selection at Taiwan’s Double Ten National Day reception in 2023 signaled that public institutions saw her work as a cultural ambassador. The Sherbeth title now gives that role an international dimension. Visitors to Lukang seeking heritage and food will likely add Mountain in Blue to their list, which can bring fresh attention to both the town and its producers.

What is the Sherbeth International Artisan Gelato Festival?

Founded in 2008, Sherbeth gathers gelato makers, suppliers and the public for several days in Palermo. The city has long links to the history of frozen desserts, and the festival places that heritage alongside modern techniques. Streets fill with tasting stands, while masterclasses and talks give professionals a chance to compare notes and test ideas.

The competition has become a bellwether for flavor trends and for the movement of gelato culture beyond Italy. This year’s 17th edition brought 50 artisans from many countries. For makers outside Europe, a podium finish can open doors to collaborations, guest service events and teaching opportunities.

How judging works

Gelato competitions typically reward clarity of flavor, technical execution and proportion. Judges look for a stable structure with tiny ice crystals, a smooth scoop that does not melt too fast and a flavor that is distinct yet balanced. Ingredients should taste natural and clean. A good idea is not enough if the texture is heavy, over sweet or icy, and skilled competitors often win by getting the base recipe right before adding a creative twist.

Sherbeth also exposes makers to a broad audience through public tastings, where thousands sample each recipe. That interaction gives immediate feedback and shows which flavors travel well across cultures. A tea led gelato thriving in that setting points to growing interest in Asia’s ingredients on European menus.

Why this win matters for Taiwan and tea producers

Oolong has long been a symbol of Taiwanese agriculture. Many tea gardens sit on steep mountain slopes with cool nights and misty mornings that help lock in aroma. When a tea based gelato leads a major competition in Italy, it spreads awareness of that craft to diners and buyers who may not know Taiwan’s tea range. That can help small producers when chefs and retailers seek new sources for premium leaves.

The award lands during a run of food successes by teams from Taiwan in Italy. A group of pastry chefs recently won the 2025 Panettone World Championship, a contest built around one of Italy’s most emblematic breads. Combined with a gelato title, these moments show how Taiwanese artisans are engaging with classic European formats and contributing fresh ideas.

Gelato and ice cream, what is the difference?

Gelato uses less fat than most ice cream, and makers churn it more slowly. The result is denser, with less air, and it is served a little warmer than ice cream. Those choices make flavors more immediate on the palate. A custard heavy ice cream can feel rich and cold, while gelato often feels silkier and more focused.

Tea is a good match for gelato because the lower fat allows aroma to come through. Too much butterfat can mute delicate notes, which matters when the star is a leaf rather than chocolate or caramel. A tea gelato that gets the base right can taste vivid, with layers that do not disappear in the cold.

What comes after a major gelato title

Winners at high profile competitions often see a jump in visitors and requests for appearances. Many are invited to guest serve at festivals, teach classes or develop limited flavors with restaurants. The visibility can help shops invest in better equipment and in closer ties with local growers whose crops make premium flavors possible.

Chao’s approach is rooted in place, so the new attention may highlight how Taiwanese ingredients translate into desserts for a global audience. That exchange runs in both directions, since Italian technique continues to shape gelato in Taiwan, while Taiwan’s produce brings fresh ideas back to European counters.

The Essentials

• Sylvia Chao of Changhua, Taiwan, won first prize at the Sherbeth International Artisan Gelato Festival in Palermo, Sicily.
• The winning flavor, Luce d’Oolong, draws on Taiwan’s oolong tea and balanced floral and mineral notes.
• It is the first time a Taiwanese artisan has taken the top award at the festival.
• The 17th Sherbeth edition featured 50 gelato makers from around the world.
• Chao runs Mountain in Blue Gelato on Lukang’s historic old street.
• Her gelato was selected for Taiwan’s 2023 National Day reception and served to foreign guests.
• Founded in 2008, Sherbeth highlights artisan techniques and judging centered on texture, stability and clean flavor.
• The win brings new visibility to Taiwanese tea and the island’s artisan dessert scene.