L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 34 L'Italo-Americano E very chocaholic knows that Italy has three capi- t a l s w h e n i t comes to ciocco- l a t o : T u r i n , P e r u g i a , Modica. Trying to pick an a b s o l u t e q u e e n w o u l d b e useless and even damaging, f o r t h e r e i s n o r e a s o n t o have a favorite: three is such p e r f e c t l y f o r m e d n u m b e r anyway. Each of them is known for something special and luxu- riously delicious: Turin has her gianduiotti, Perugia her baci and Modica… Modica has the history of chocolate itself. Yes, because the textu- r e d a n d d a r k l y d e c a d e n t c i o c c o l a t o d i M o d i c a (which holds a PGI — pro- tected geographical indica- tion — denomination), ado- red by Leonardo Sciascia a n d b y s e v e r a l f a m o u s pasticceri around the world, has more in common with what the Aztec gods may have known centuries ago t h a n i t h a s w i t h " o u r " European chocolate. Its production is charac- terized by the manual grin- ding of ingredients, rather than their conching, which doesn't only promote a dif- f e r e n t t e x t u r e b u t a l s o a very unique flavor. Modica was introduced to cocoa and i t s m y s t e r i e s b y t h e Spaniards, who in turn lear- ned all there was to know from the Aztecs. However, our Iberian cousins were the ones adding sugar to the g a m e a n d t o t u r n A z t e c cocoa drinks into a first, ante-litteram chocolate bar. Modica chocolate is special a l s o w h e n i t c o m e s t o i t s extra ingredients, as it is usually only flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and chili, as well as orange and lemon rinds. F r a g r a n t , i n t e n s e a n d c r u m b l y , c i o c c o l a t o d i Modica is not only a nice thing to eat, it's a gem of our Made in Italy tradi- tion, because the secrets of its production are known to only a few and passed on, in the most quintessential of craftsmanship's patterns, f r o m a g e n e r a t i o n t o t h e n e x t . W e a t L ' I t a l o - Americano are proud and happy to speak on a regular basis with those Italians who represent the country's tra- ditions and heritage with their work and know-how and this is why we are deli- ghted to have shared some virtual time with Carmelo D i L o r e n z o , o w n e r o f Pasticceria Di Lorenzo in Modica, whose family has been producing chocolate — and many other sweet deli- cacies — for several decades. In his words, we find all the k n o w l e d g e , p r i d e a n d passion of a family for a business that is intertwined with their personal heritage, their memories, their values. A business that, for them, is also future and legacy, an example of how tradition is not only a tie to the past but also an open avenue to lead us strongly into the future. With Carmelo we spoke a b o u t t h e h i s t o r y o f h i s family business, about cho- colate, candies and other delicacies, about Covid-19 a n d t h e s u r p r i s e o f s o m e Americans in Modica when they found his pasticceria. The love story of your family with the world of patisserie and chocolate m a k i n g s t a r t e d i n t h e 1950s and happily conti- nues today. You do well represent, I believe, the t r u e i d e a l o f M a d e i n Italy: you created your business from scratch and achieved great goals by remaining faithful to canons of tradition and quality. Moreover you were — and still remain t o d a y — a f a m i l y - r u n b u s i n e s s : h o w i m p o r - tant is this connection with local tradition and family values for you? In the 1950s, my father Salvatore moved his first steps in the world of baking. He began as an apprentice at Caffè Roma, in those years considered one of the most prestigious cafes in t o w n s . C a r m e l o R u t a , depositary of many a recipe of Modica's baking tradition, was his teacher and, under his wing, he quickly learned the art of patisserie, impro- ving his technical skills and assimilating the most import rule of all: that each product is the perfect representation of the quality of its ingre- dients. In 1975, my father started his own pasticceria, strong with the support of his family — the true bea- ting heart of the business, yesterday as today — and of his precious recipe book, w h i c h h e s t i l l j e a l o u s l y keeps close to him today. His first collaborator was my mother, who still works acti- vely with us today and who's c o n s i d e r e d o u r b a k e r y ' s historical memory. Then, in 1977, my brother Giovanni, who's recently passed away due to an incurable illness, joined them and, later, in 1984, it was my turn. Today, it's me and my wife Franca w h o k e e p t h e b u s i n e s s going, bringing together tra- dition and innovation. M o d i c a t r u l y m e a n s chocolate for so many of us. A chocolate so diffe- rent, though, from what w e f i n d i n t h e r e s t o f I t a l y . W h a t ' s t h e l i n k between the town and her chocolate how did FRANCESCA BEZZONE Salvatore Di Lorenzo, founder of the Di Lorenzo Bakery of Modica (Photo Courtesy of Carmelo Di Lorenzo) Continued to page 36 LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE The Di Lorenzo family: Sicily, chocolate and the legend of the sweetest Made in Italy

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