L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2023 L'Italo-Americano A rrivederci to another Natale … a n d b u o n - giorno to what m i g h t b e t h e sweetest month of the year. February, of course – that month that is overwrought with red hearts, flowers, sen- timental cards, and perhaps the star of the show: choco- late! Italy produces some of the world's finest and tastiest chocolates, which shouldn't come as a surprise consider- ing the vast sensual joys that are a part of Italian cuisine and culture. Add to that the array of gorgeous historic towns where chocolate pro- duction takes place, and well – it's one sweet recipe for the i n d u l g e n c e o f t h e s e n s e s . Let's take a look at five of Italy's best-known chocolate hot spots! " C h o c o l a t e s y m b o l - i z e s , a s d o e s n o o t h e r food, luxury, comfort, sensuality, gratification, and love." ~ Karl Petzke T o r i n o ( T u r i n ) i s impressive. Home to Fiat, birthplace of the aperitivo (thank you, Gaspare Cam- pari), keeper of The Shroud, and…the Italian Capital of Chocolate. Were it not for Torino, we might not have Nutella - gasp. It was Tori- no's early confectioners who realized the liquid chocolate that first arrived in the 1700s could be solidified. Voilà… chocolate bars. As popularity rose, cocoa supplies shrunk because of Napoleon's block- ades. Piedmont's plentiful h a z e l n u t s s a v e d t h e d a y ! Combined with the chocolate p a s t e , a t a s t y s u b s t a n c e k n o w n a s g i a n d u j a w a s b o r n – t h e p r e c u r s o r t o Nutella. T o r i n o i s a l s o h o m e t o some of Italy's best choco- latiers, along with the signa- t u r e t r i a n g u l a r - s h a p e d chocolate known as Gian- duiotto. Made from discrete concoctions of chocolate and hazelnut paste and wrapped in jewel-tone foils, life isn't complete without tasting a few of these. If your sweet tooth is still unsatisfied, grab a bicerin. Delicately layered Italian hot chocolate, high- quality espresso, and lightly whipped cream cozy up in an elegant goblet— and therein l i e s p r o o f : d r e a m s c a n become tangible. "Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth p e r s o n a l w a y s l i e s . " ~ anonymous Next stop – Alba, a culi- n a r y c i t y a b o u t a n h o u r s o u t h e a s t o f T o r i n o a n d home to the second-largest chocolate producer on the planet. During the meager days of World War II, a pas- try maker by the name of Pietro Ferrero had only so much cocoa with which to make his goods. With the a b u n d a n c e o f h a z e l n u t forests surrounding Alba, Pietro set out to create his own version of gianduja. The paradigm-shifting event o c c u r r e d i n 1 9 6 4 w h e n Michele Ferrero, son of Pietro, developed his father's i n s p i r a t i o n i n t o w h a t w e know (and love) as Nutella. The rest is prolific history – over 365,000 tons of Nutella a r e p r o d u c e d d a i l y h e r e , e n o u g h j a r s t o c i r c l e t h e earth 1.7 times. Michele also brought to the world another chocolate phenomena – the F e r r e r o R o c h e r . W h o d o e s n ' t r e c o g n i z e ( a n d covet) those gold-wrapped pleasure bombs? " A l i t t l e t o o m u c h chocolate is just about right." ~ anonymous Y o u k n e w a b o u t T u s - cany's enchanting vineyards a n d p i c t u r e s q u e h i l l t o p t o w n s , b u t d i d y o u k n o w about its "Chocolate Val- ley"? A newcomer of sorts, the valley cradled between Pisa, Pistoia, and Prato has become a hub for some o f I t a l y ' s b e s t a n d m o s t i n n o v a t i v e c h o c o l a t i e r s . C o m b i n i n g a g e - o l d t e c h - niques with modern vision, n a m e s s u c h a s R o b e r t o C a n i n a r i , P a u l B o n d t , A n d r e a S l i t t i , a n d Amadei produce destina- t i o n - w o r t h y c h o c o l a t e s . Imagine the finest choco- lates combined with nontra- ditional flavors and spices – b e r g a m o t , j a s m i n e , r o s e , olive oil, rosemary – to cre- ate what is described as "the best" by some of the world's most renowned chefs. Amaz- i n g w i n e , u n f o r g e t t a b l e scenery…and now this? Tus- cany, you rock. "The most beautiful love verses can be used to conquer a woman or t o w r a p c h o c o l a t e . " ~ Fabio Fazio P e r u g i a , where kisses rule. Well yes, kiss-kiss is Italian tradition for greeting a friend, but here a "bacio" goes way beyond a salutato- r y p e c k . T h e P e r u g i n a Chocolate company, estab- lished almost 100 years ago, produces the Baci, an iconic chocolate whose recipe has r e m a i n e d u n c h a n g e d a l l these 95 years later. These irresistible confections con- sist of a chopped hazelnut filling topped with one toast- ed hazelnut, all coated in a dreamy blanket of smooth chocolate. Each morsel is wrapped in Perugina's sig- nature star-speckled blue and silver foil which, when peeled away, reveals a love note. Quotes and inspira- t i o n s r o m a n c e t h e m i n d while chocolate seduces the mouth. Not a bad combo. If in Perugia, carve out time to visit the Perugina Choco- late House… "an extraordi- nary place where visitors can discover and revel in all the pleasures of chocolate." " A s l o n g a s t h e r e i s chocolate, there will be happiness." ~ W.G. Trot- man An Italian chocolate tour c a n ' t l e a v e o u t a u n i q u e chocolate found in Sicily, in the town of Modica. The year 1693 shook things up here, literally, when a major earthquake leveled the town. Refurbished in fine Baroque s t y l e , M o d i c a b e c a m e a showcase for elegant archi- tecture and culture. Today, this UNESCO World Her- itage site is also famous for chocolate! But this isn't stan- dard fare: Modica's choco- late is the direct descendent of the Aztec way of chocolate making. Spain ruled Sicily for 200 years; with colonies i n S o u t h A m e r i c a , c o c o a b e a n s a n d s u g a r w e r e i n steady supply. The two were combined at a low process- i n g t e m p e r a t u r e , w h i c h meant the sugar remained p a r t i a l l y c r y s t a l l i z e d . N o need for any added fats, but throw in some fruit or spices, and the result is an intense, delectable chocolate with a flirty tickle of a crunch. Why m e s s w i t h s u c c e s s – t h e method is unchanged today. Modica chocolate also owns bragging rights as the first a n d o n l y P G I ( P r o t e c t e d G e o g r a p h i c a l I n d i c a t i o n ) chocolate in Europe. " H a p p y c h o c o l a t e , who after having trav- eled the world, through t h e s m i l e s o f w o m e n , finds death in a tasty and melting kiss from their m o u t h s . " - A n t h e l m e Brillat-Savarin Gianduiotti are traditional hazelnut chocolates from Piedmont (Photo: Luigi Bertello/Dreamstime) February is here: five Italian hot spots for chocolate PAULA REYNOLDS LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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