The best dove in Italy of 2026? It is produced by a pastry shop in Campania

This year the title of Best Colomba in Italy goes to the South. The International Federation of Pastry, Ice Cream and Chocolate (FIPGC) has elected the winners of the “Best Colomba in Italy 2026” competition (here you can find last year’s winners) during the National Pastry and Bread Making Championships held at the Fiera del Tirreno CT in Marina di Carrara.

There are three categories competing: Classic Colomba, Savory Colomba and, an absolute novelty of this edition, Gelato Colomba. Over 80 master pastry chefs from every Italian region competed in front of a high-profile technical jury.

Best Classic Colomba

The gold in the traditional category goes to Antonio Gargiulo, master pastry chef from Sant’Agnello, in the province of Naples. The Best Classic Italian Colomba 2026 respects the original recipe: a colomba made with the sole insertion of candied orange, flavored at the discretion of the master pastry chef and finished with the traditional crunchy icing.

The jury evaluated the aroma, precision of the cut, quality of cooking, softness of the dough, alveolation and correct distribution of the suspensions. According to the commission’s verdict, Gargiulo’s Colomba fully hit every parameter, demonstrating an ideal balance between technique and flavour.

Best Savory Colomba

In the Savory category, Raffaele Romano, master pastry chef from Solofra (Avellino), already known in the circuit of large national competitions, triumphs. His gastronomic colomba, called “Anima Campana”, is made with capers, anchovies and Provolone del Monaco DOP, enriched with confit cherry tomatoes that balance flavor and colour.

The Savory Colomba maintains the shape and structure of the great Easter leavened product, but with gastronomic ingredients designed for aperitifs and buffets, with an evaluation that also includes the shelf-life of the product.

Best Ice Cream Colomba

The best “Colomba ice cream” in Italy bears the signature of Massimo Esposito from Catanzaro, soul and master ice cream maker of the “Foyer” bar. His proposal — pomegranate ice cream, cashew crumble and white chocolate icing — won over the jury for its originality and harmony of textures.

In this category the leavened product is made up of a chocolate dough without inserts, filled with a single flavor of live creamed ice cream, enriched by a ripple or a crunchy element.

See you next year!