Italian Chocolate

Italy has taught the world much about the preparation of fine chocolates. Italy’s confectioners are concerned with every detail, from the quality of cocoa down to the style of packaging. Produced in all shapes and sizes, flavored with a multitude of nuts and fruits and a variety of creams and liqueurs, Italian chocolates are certain to please every palate.

The birthplace and origin of chocolate candies is arguably Turin, Piedmont. The first chocolate candies were bite size pieces of chocolate, shaped by hand from a chocolate paste called givu. In the 1700’s, all chocolate in Europe was coming from the New World. There was then a chocolate shortage in the early 1800’s due to the Napoleonic Wars and subsequent blockades. Piedmont cleverly stretched their remaining supply of chocolate with ground hazelnuts, giving birth to Italy’s most important chocolate invention, gianduia.

For generations Italian children have grown up enjoying a breakfast or early afternoon snack of bread topped with enticing chocolate-hazelnut spread, or crema di gianduia. Absolutely natural and with a high nutritional value, chocolate spreads are considered a tasty, energy packed snack. Nutella, the world renowned spread, is a modified form of gianduia. The exact recipe is a closely guarded secret, held by Ferrero, the company that produces this delicious spread. Nutella is marketed as “hazelnut cream” in many countries as well as in Italy where Italian law prevents it from being labeled as a chocolate cream, as it does not meet minimum cocoa solids concentration criteria.

Italians care deeply about the purity of ingredients. There is no better evidence for their concern for quality than their conflict with the European Union (EU) over cocoa butter. In 2003 the EU extended a new directive to all European Countries—the option to use a maximum of 5% of vegetable fats of tropical origin other than cocoa butter in making chocolate. The members of the Italian Confectioners Association, or Associazione Industrie Dolciarie Italiane (A.I.D.I.) would not have it. They expressed their strong willingness to be faithful to the quality of Italian chocolate manufacturing and decided not to tamper with their recipes. In Italy they use only 100% pure cocoa butter in their chocolate.

According to Mario Piccialuti, Director of AIDI, “Since 2003 the EU permits chocolate to certain percentage of vegetable oils, like palm, to substitute for the more expensive cocoa butter. However, we Italians do not. By agreement, all members of AIDI use only 100% cocoa butter in their chocolates. Italian chocolate is pure chocolate.

Not only do Italians produce chocolates of the highest quality, they manufacture great quantities and present them in a way that is truly fitting. Many companies call in top designers to help them with their packaging so that the container will attain the same level of artistry as its contents. Coming in many different flavors, shapes and wrappers some of the most famous Italian chocolates are Bacio, Blue Rose, Boeri, Gianduiotto, Mon Cheri, Otello and Rocher. Italy takes pride in some of the world’s finest chocolate companies including Caffarel, Ferrero, Majani, Novi, Pernigotti, Perugina, Peyrano, Vanini and Venchi. The region of Piemonte is home to more master chocolatiers than Belgium and France combined!