Dark Chocolate Truffle Box

It takes more than 24 hours of careful craftsmanship to make these dark chocolate and cocoa nib truffles from Antica Torroneria Piemontese. Since 1885, this shop in the northwestern Piedmont region has been perfecting the art of candymaking, inspired by the nationally renowned hazelnuts that grow there. From roasting and grinding the nuts by hand to letting the truffles rest overnight to ensure just the right smooth texture, every step of the process is guided by tradition and time-honored techniques.

Piedmontese hazelnuts are so special, they are not only protected by IGP designation, their orchards are actually a UNESCO heritage site! Nocciola piemontese, as they’re known in Italian, are more flavorful than your average hazelnut, with a rich, complex fragrance. Picked by hand in the grove, they have a hard, compact shell and are slightly smaller than other varieties. Antica Torroneria Piemontese works directly with local hazelnut growers to source the highest quality hazelnuts, which are roasted daily in-house to bring just the right balance of flavors to these sweet truffles.

Antica Torroneria Piemontese began when Giuseppe Sebaste, an apprentice in a pastry shop in Alba, decided to strike out on his own. Unable to afford the expensive almonds that were commonly used to make torrone, he turned to the hazelnuts that grew in abundance on the hillsides in his home in the Piedmont. It was an inspired moment that set the course for a sweet legacy. Today, the fifth-generation family members who run his company are committed to celebrating the precious Piemontese hazelnuts that started it all. Antica Torroneria Piemontese are masters of the confectionery arts with a single-minded dedication to excellency that guides everything they do.