The Vatican’s Ice Cream Flavor Can Soon Be Tasted at Lake Balaton

From next week, the Vatican’s ice cream flavor, named “Hallelujah,” the official dessert of the Jubilee Holy Year 2025, will be available in Hungary, the Balaton Tourism Association revealed.

In Hungary, the Promenád Kávéház in Balatongyörök (northern shore), winner of last year’s Ice Cream of Lake Balaton competition, was the first to join the campaign, Világgazdaság writes. The second scoop of the first container will be donated to charity, with the proceeds going to the local church.

“Hallelujah” is the official dessert of the Jubilee Holy Year 2025, created by Italian artisan ice cream master Vincenzo Squatrito. Vincenzo has been running a family confectionery with his twin brother since 1994, where they offer 54 different types of ice cream to their customers every year. The dessert is a special combination of roasted hazelnuts and chocolate, with a base of gianduia (chocolate cream with hazelnuts).

The ice cream made for the special occasion will make its debut at the Vatican: it will be available for the first time in the world from March 23, at St. Peter’s Square. From March 24, on European Artisan Gelato Day, the dessert will be available in over 250 cities across Europe, including Vienna, London, and Milan.

In addition to world cities, four Hungarian municipalities are on the official map of the Vatican ice cream.

Besides the Promenád Kávéház, the Florida ice cream parlor in Balatonmáriafürdő (southern shore) has also joined the campaign, thus on both the south and north shores of Lake Balaton, there will be a confectionery where tourists looking for a spiritual and gastronomic experience can taste Vatican ice cream, said Tamás Fekete, president of the Balaton Tourism Association.

In addition to the Balaton confectioneries, the Damniczki confectionery in Székesfehérvár (central Hungary) and the Pataki confectionery in Érd (near Budapest) are also participating in the campaign, which promises a significant increase in turnover.

For the 12th time, the Ice Cream of Lake Balaton competition will be held on May 9 this year, where confectioners from the Lake Balaton region will compete with their creations made from local ingredients, Fekete announced. The association’s president noted that the competition will be somewhat similar to the Vatican event, as the selection process is also a celebration of quality, artisanal ice cream making. The aim is to highlight local values, promote tourism, and reward quality and creativity.

Via Világgazdaság, Featured image: Pexels