In Turin, the chocolate is at home. Piedmont chocolatiers got their first license to sell chocolate in 1678, almost 200 years before the first gianduia bar entered the chocolate scene in Turin.
But when “CioccolaTò Festival” takes place, as during the last days, Turin becomes the international temple of chocolate and a very greedy chance to visit the first historical Capital of Italy (from 1861 to 1865, then it became Florence and finally Rome, from 1870).
The 2014 edition of the chocolate festival has been an experience of great success (with 500 thousand visitors already registered in past editions) and taste.
This year it replicated the formula that made discover the best productions of Turin patisserie, but also the Italian and international chocolate production, with new features that mantained the promise to be tasty: hundreds of chocolate makers participated selling chocolate and giving out samples. Chocolatiers and pastry chefs showed the audience chocolate making, baking, decorating and tempering techniques.
Although Turin is most noted for its Gianduia (chocolate and Piedmont hazelnut bars), there was plenty of other kinds of chocolate available: dark, milk, white, hot chocolate, chocolate liqueur and chocolate gelato.
Not to forget the location and the period of the Turin festival: “CioccolaTò 2014” invited visitors into the “living room” of Turin to taste the cocoa creations when the season makes them more sweet. The melancholy of autumn was blown away by the load of serotonin that chocolate gives in every bite.
CioccolaTò was also an opportunity to discover the monuments of the city of Turin, starting from the taste buds and to let be charmed by the many variations of the cocoa bean and the many different creations from all over the world.
The chocolate most associated with Turin is gianduia (it was invented because of high cacao prices and problems with supply. In order to extend their supply of cacao, chocolatiers added hazelnuts that were, and still are, in abundance from the local Langhe area). However, long before pastry chefs started putting hazelnuts in chocolate, Turin was a major player in the world of European chocolate.
The chocolate and gianduia “stubs” came out in 1852. At first its name was “givu” local dialect for cigarette butt. Then in 1865, the big chocolate company Caffarel gave to the Turin’s Carnival character Gianduia, these givu to hand out during festivities. From then, the stubs were known as Gianduia or gianduiotti.
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