Gianduja Chocolate Bar

Made with exquisite care by a second-generation master chocolatier, this gianduja bar from Guido Gobino is the essence of the Piedmont. Starring the nationally recognized, IGP-certified nocciola piemontese (Piedmont hazelnut) in all its glory, this little bar is a showcase for Guido Gobino’s perfectly calibrated gianduja, a creamy blend of chocolate and hazelnut that’s been a local delicacy for centuries.

There’s no sweet more characteristically Piedmontese than gianduja. It was created out of necessity in the early 1800s, when Napoleon blocked all French allies—including Italy—from trading goods with the British. This restriction of British supplies included cocoa, which forced Italian chocolatiers to get a bit creative to stretch their supply. They turned to an ingredient they had in abundance: the plump, flavorful hazelnuts that grow in the Langhe mountains, just south of Turin. The chocolate masters created a spread of roughly 70% cocoa and 30% hazelnut paste, and gianduja was born! Today, Turin is famous for this delicious chocolate innovation.

In 1964, Giuseppe Gobino took his experience as a cocoa refiner to the candy business, establishing an artisan chocolate shop in Turin, the capital of the Piedmont region. Today, his son Guido carries on his legacy of excellence. Aside from the chocolate, which is carefully selected from Central and South America, every ingredient in their products is purely Italian. The raw cacao beans are roasted and processed in their own state-of-the-art facility, as are the hazelnuts they source directly from local farmers. Milk comes from Piedmontese dairy farmers, and even the sugar is from Italian beets. Every step of the chocolate-making process is managed by hand to ensure the highest quality in every bite.