Hazelnut & Cocoa Spread

Move over, Nutella—this decadent chocolate-hazelnut spread from Pariani is made with exquisite nocciola Piemonte, from the mountainous northern Piedmont region of Italy. Piedmontese hazelnuts are so precious that they are IGP-certified (the official Italian designation for products that are best in a specific region); their orchards are a UNESCO heritage site! More flavorful than your average hazelnut, nocciola Piemonte has a rich, complex flavor that stands up to the dark cocoa in this creamy spread. You’ll find a million and one uses for this spread, or just eat it with a spoon—we'll never tell.Based in Givoletto, just outside of Torino, Pariani’s slogan is “Research and Excellence”—and they mean it! Research is, in fact, the way the company began; the founder, Mattia Pariani, was a student at the University of Torino when his thesis on hazelnut oil won the National Innovation Prize. Not content to stay on the academic side, he decided to turn his prize-winning idea into action. He f