Beginners Guide to Italian Chocolate
The chocolate industry is one that has existed in Italy since 1559, when Madama Reale Marie Jeanne Baptiste of the Savoy dynasty approved it to be imported and used in every day recipes. Since then, Italy's relationship with chocolate has blossomed with each generation making their mark on the industry.
Italy's most famous chocolate product is gianduitto, which is chocolate infused with hazelnuts forming a smooth combination that can be spread on any products. Bacio is another chocolate/hazelnut combination, but unlike 
gianduitto that originates in Piedmont, Bacio comes from Perugia. The two types of chocolate are often compared to their Western equivalent – Nutella.
Dark chocolate is also beloved in Italy and if you are a fan of heavy cocoa products, then cioccolato fondente may be the chocolate type for you. However another type of chocolate that is very popular, is fruit infused flavoured chocolate such as cioccolato all'arancia, which is orange flavoured chocolate, and cioccolato con peperoncini which is infused with hot pepper! Not a traditional chocolate flavour, pepper infused chocolate is an unique taste experience that has to be tried to be believed.
If you are travelling to Italy and love chocolate, then one event that you must not miss is the Turin Chocolate Festival. Held in the centre of Turin Piazza Vittorio Veneto during March, the week long festival sees chocolatiers from all over the country come to showcase their products. Unsurprisingly, it is extremely popular with 700,000 people visiting each year to try the latest innovations in chocolate manufacturing.
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