At first it was a drink. Cacao had been imported from Spain since the time of Emanuele Filiberto, but in the year 1678 the Madama Reale Giovanna Battista Nemours made it officially legal to drink the substance. Later in the 18th Century chocolate artisans began to solidify chocolate into bars, and a number of great chocolate factories sprang up, such as the Caffarel (in the area of Valdocco) where the Swiss came to learn the art. In 1865, however, came the invention of the gianduja – the most famous chocolate of Piedmont, made from chocolate and toasted hazelnuts. Today the tradition of gianduja chocolates and giandujotti is as alive as ever – you can hardly count the number of shops that hand make this delicacy – Peyrano, Pfatish, Gobino and many others. |
