Turin is Italy’s undisputed chocolate capital. It inspired Nutella and made chocolate bars possible.
If you love chocolate, imagine a city where you can sit in an elegant art nouveau cafe sipping a perfectly made hot or cold chocolate drink (depending on the season), or a coffee, served with chocolate on the side. Thanks to Antonio Carletti, you can make the dream a reality in Turin, Italy.
Italian traveler Antonio Carletti, brought chocolate to Italy via Spain (which brought it from the New World) in about 1585. A chocolate craze immediately ensued. Cioccolatieri (chocolate shops), opened in all the major cities in the country. Today, there’s one city in the northwestern part of Italy known especially for chocolate: Turin, the capital city of Piedmont.
Panoramic view of Turin. Wikimediacommons, Florinux
Turin’s sweet history
Turin opens the world’s first chocolate cafe
Turin has been producing chocolate since 1678, when the Queen of Savoy granted Turinese chocolate maker Gio’ Antonio Ari a license to open the first chocolate house, serving hot chocolate. This firmly established Turin as the chocolate capital of Europe.
Italians were also key in developing the first chocolate bars
Italy is well known for innovative designs in fashion, cars, and well, just about everything. You’ve no doubt heard of Ferrari, Fiat, Prada, Gucci, and Versace. But, did you know that those crafty Italians are also responsible for the first chocolate bars?
That’s right, candy bars or solid chocolate bars got their start in Turin.
In 1778, an Italian inventor named Doret constructed a machine that mixed cocoa butter with vanilla and sugar, creating, in effect, a chocolate praline. Prior to this, liquid chocolate was the only form available. The system designed by Doret was then perfected by a Brit named Joseph Fry, who produced chocolate bars as we know them today.
After the machine that turned the liquid into bars was invented, the whole world could experience this decadent new dessert. Everyone, including the Italians, was crazy for chocolate.
Today the Piedmont region produces 40% of the total Italian chocolate – about 85,000 tons of chocolate a year! Visiting Turin is like going to chocolate heaven.
Caffe in Turin, Italy Flickr, Slack12
Nutella’s Piedmont roots
Turin is perhaps best known for the decadently delicious, golden-wrapped Gianduiotti. Hazelnuts are plentiful in Piedmont, especially in the Langhe area. Local boy Michele Prochet is responsible for mixing the cocoa powder with toasted, chopped hazelnuts, and producing the gianduiotti.
A Chocolate Love Affair, Turin, Italy. Flickr photo Sausyn. adapted by Adventures of a Carry-on.
This creation led to the invention of the world-famous hazelnut and chocolate spread known as Nutella. If you ever stay in a B&B in Italy, there’s a good chance there will be little individual packets of Nutella on the morning breakfast bar.
Nutella is produced by the chocolate maker Ferrero-Rocher, a family-owned business that has grown to become one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world. Located in the nearby town of Alba, they also make the delicious Rocher, hazelnuts in milk chocolate with a hazelnut cream coating and then a chocolate shell. Divine!
Other popular chocolates Turin is known for are the Cremino, Nocciolati, Tris di Nocciole, and Tartufi (chocolate) truffles.
The Bicerin, Turin’s iconic chocolate drink
Another chocolate specialty made popular in Turin is the Bicerin, a truly decadent layered hot chocolate coffee drink. Remember, when chocolate was first invented it was only in a liquid form. Bicerin, which means little glass, is made from coffee, cocoa, and whipped cream. A tradition in Turin is to enjoy a morning bicerin at a cafe. According to historical accounts, Bicerin was enjoyed by Picasso, Hemingway, and Dumas. If it’s good enough for them, perhaps you want to give it a try.
Cafe Bicerin, Turin, Italy, Flickr Peter
Finally, let us not forget the aphrodisiac properties chocolate is credited with. Imagine stopping for a bit of chocolate at one of Turin’s pretty cafes in a country known for romance. Anything could happen.
About the author:
Lucia Hannau was born and raised in Turin, NW Italy. After completing her Master’s degree in the U.S. she then became the Italian language program director at Purdue University for nine years. It was while living in America that Lucia discovered her passion for food and decided to return to her roots in Turin, to organize Turin Epicurean Capital, an international food and lit event that aims to finally place Turin on the foodie’s world map. You can follow her on twitter and Facebook.
