Chocolate is one of the things I love most. Especially dark chocolate. It satisfies my brain in a way no other food does.
If you too are a chocolate addict lover, there are good news.
Indeed, research has found out that thanks to the high number of flavonoids dark chocolate contains, it helps reducing the risk of both irregular heartbeat and diabetes.
Dark chocolate, however, seems to have good effects also on our brain. Indeed, it enhances neuroplasticity and helps memorizing new things.
However, research found out that to see such effects, we should eat chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa…and only in a moderate quantity.
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As you might know the earliest evidence of chocolate dates back to the 1900 BC in Mexico. However, in Italy, cocoa and chocolate arrived only in 1600, in Florence. Soon after, both Florence, Venice and Turin started to produce chocolate.
To these days Turin is still a leading city in the production of chocolate in Italy.
So, let’s see three typical Italian chocolates created in Piedmont.
CREMINI
I must say despite I love all these three typical Italian chocolates, I’ve a strong predilection for cremini.
Cremini are chocolates created in the 19th century by Ferdinando Baratti.
They are cube shaped and composed of three layers of chocolate. The first and the third layer are made with gianduja chocolate while the second one is traditionally made with hazelnut paste.
CUNEESI AL RHUM
Cuunesi are one of the most famous typical Italian chocolates produced in Turin and definitely a must-to-have for winter time.
Cuneesi al rhum were created by Andrea Arione. They have a dark chocolate coating and a rum-flavored chocolate filling.
Historically these chocolates were even bought and appreciated by Ernest Hemingway, who following the advice of his friend Arnoldo Mondadori, decided to go to Turin and buy a chocolate box of Cuneesi before leaving Italy.
Although traditionally cuneesi are made with a rum-flavored chocolate filling, nowadays you can find them also with a hazelnut-flavored filling, a Grand Marnier-flavored filling and even with a chestnut-flavored filling.
GIANDUIOTTI
Finally, the list of the typical Italian chocolates from Piedmont wouldn’t be complete without adding Gianduiotti.
Gianduiotti were created by Pierre Paul Caffarel and nowadays are the most famous chocolates made in Turin.
Gianduiotti have a shape of an upturned boat. They are made with gianduja – chocolate with sugar and hazelnuts – and then wrapped in a gold or silver tinfoil.
Have you ever tasted these three typical Italian chocolates? Which one is your favourite?
Credits
Original image by pasja1000
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