Ecuador's Marco Andrade Named Latin America's Best Ice Cream Maker at Copa Latam Bajo Cero
Ecuador's Marco Andrade Named Latin America's Best Ice Cream Maker at Copa Latam Bajo Cero
Ecuadorian gelato maker Marco Andrade, founder of the Manabí-based brand Pop 2Go, has been named Latin America's Best Ice Cream Maker at the Copa Latam Bajo Cero 2026. Held in Santiago, Chile, the competition is widely described by Ecuadorian outlets as one of the region's most significant gelato contests, drawing entrants from across Latin America. The win adds another entry to Ecuador's growing profile in international gelato circles.
The Winning Creation: 'Del Territorio al Gelato'
Andrade's winning entry, reportedly titled “Del territorio al gelato,” was a dairy-free gelato built around Ecuadorian coconut, cashew, and vanilla. Coverage of the competition emphasized how the presentation leaned heavily on terroir and cultural identity, with each ingredient tied to a specific region and story within Ecuador. Many observers note that this kind of ingredient-forward storytelling has become increasingly common in international gelato competitions, as makers look to distinguish their entries through origin and sourcing rather than technique alone.
Who Is Marco Andrade
Andrade was born in Portoviejo, in Ecuador's Manabí province, and founded Pop 2Go, a gelato brand rooted in the region. His win is part of a broader wave of Ecuadorian ice cream makers gaining attention on the international stage in recent years, according to multiple domestic outlets covering the gastronomy scene.
What's Next: Gelato World Cup 2026
The Copa Latam Bajo Cero win reportedly qualifies Andrade to represent Ecuador at the Gelato World Cup 2026 in Italy. This would follow an earlier 2025 qualification by another Ecuadorian maker, as previously reported by Ecuavisa. If confirmed, Andrade's participation would mark continued momentum for Ecuadorian gelato makers on the world stage, though the exact qualification pathway and official confirmation from competition organizers were not independently verified at the time of writing.
A Point of National Pride
Several Ecuadorian outlets, including Primicias, Ecuavisa, Vistazo, Expreso, El Universo, and Ekos Negocios, covered the win with largely consistent core details: the competition location, Andrade's background, and the ingredients behind his winning gelato. Coverage generally frames the achievement as a celebration of Ecuadorian ingredients and culinary craftsmanship. A recurring point across reports is that some specifics—such as the exact number of competitors, precise competition dates, and the official English-language title of the winning dish—vary slightly between accounts and would benefit from confirmation via the competition organizer's own materials.