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