Cult ice-cream store Pidapipo under fire for gendered ice-cream

Pidapipo Gelateria has deleted an Instagram post launching gendered ice-cream flavours after coming under fire on social media.

"Here are two gelato popsicles we've created. One for men and one for women. For men? Salted caramel with milk chocolate & malt crumb. For women? Strawberry rose with white choc & raspberry dust. Even better together."

Lisa Valmorbida is the owner of Pidapipo gelato store.Credit: Kristoffer Paulsen

Melbourne University School of Social and Political Sciences lecturer, Dr Lauren Rosewarne, says the gendering of ice-cream is unnecessary.

"[But], it's perfectly in line with a long history of the gendering of bizarre products like pens and razors which have been gendered purely for marketing reasons," she says. "In the context of cuisine, the rise of 'dude food' is probably the best example of this."

Inside Pidapipo's gelato store in Carlton.Credit: Kristoffer Paulsen

Rosewarne also questions the flavours chosen.

"The linking of sweet and floral flavours to women and salty and dark flavours to men is harmless but is also reliant on old-fashioned stereotypes that really don't have a place in the world of ice-cream," she says. "The marketing strategy thus comes across as a little old hat, rather than modern or savvy."​

A spokesperson for Pidapipo told Fairfax Media the gelateria was engaged to design gelato that represented the Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter brands for a spring fashion event.

"We removed an Instagram post about the event because it was creating confusion as to the intent of the creative collaboration," the spokesperson said. "We love creating delicious gelato to be enjoyed by everyone and if the collaboration gave the wrong impression we are sorry."

Pidapipo has deleted its Instagram post. Credit: Kristoffer Paulsen

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