N.17
July 25th, 2024 – Eleonora Corradi
The Chocolate Museum is born in Turin: from Mayan recipes to “gianduiotto”
In the heart of Turin, the Italian chocolate capital, the Chocolate and Gianduja Museum, called Choco Story, an ambitious project combining tradition and innovation, was inaugurated on June 26, 2024. The result of a collaboration between Francesco Ciocatto, owner of the historic Pfatisch pastry shop, and the Belgian Eddy Van Belle, an entrepreneur and collector known for having created the Belcolade brand and numerous chocolate museums around the world, the Choco Story Torino presents itself as a true temple of chocolate.
A journey through the centuries.
The museum is located in the underground workshops of the Pfatisch confectionery, which have been expanded to 1,200 square metres. Here, visitors can embark on an adventurous journey through the history of chocolate, from the ancient recipes of the Mayas and the Aztecs, through the introduction of cocoa into Europe by the Spaniards, to the birth of the Piedmontese chocolate-making tradition.
The choice of Turin is not random. The city has a long and fascinating history linked to chocolate: as early as the end of the 16th century, chocolate in a cup made its appearance in the Savoy courts; in 1678, Madama Reale Giovanna Battista of Savoy Nemours granted Giovanni Antonio Ari a licence to commercialise chocolate and, at the beginning of the 19th century, Paul Caffarel created the first solid chocolate mixture, giving rise to gianduja paste and the famous gianduiotto, the world’s first wrapped chocolate candy.
An extraordinary collection.
More than 700 antique objects and machines from Van Belle’s personal collection are on display in Choco Story Torino. Prominent among them are historical machines from the late 19th and early 20th century, from Dresden and Switzerland, which are still in working order although no longer in use. These machines, which required the employment of around 40 workers, covered all stages of chocolate processing, from roasting cocoa to its transformation, first into paste and then into bars or pralines.
An interactive experience.
The museum is not just a collection of historical objects, but an immersive and interactive experience. Thanks to multimedia installations, videos and interactive games, visitors of all ages can discover the secrets of chocolate production in a fun and engaging way. The museum tour is accompanied by an audio guide available in five languages, which enriches the experience with historical details and curiosities.
Workshops and tastings.
One of the museum’s main attractions is the chocolate workshops. Here, under the guidance of master chocolatiers, visitors can put their hands to the dough and create their own bars, lollipops and pralines, experimenting with traditional techniques and unique ingredients. And, of course, there is no shortage of tastings: from artisanal chocolates to chocolate drinks, every taste is a sensory journey.
A tribute to gianduiotto.
Special attention is dedicated to gianduiotto, the world’s first wrapped chocolate, born in Turin from the encounter between cocoa and the “round mild” hazelnut from the Langhe. The museum houses a section entirely dedicated to this symbol of Piedmontese chocolate-making, where it is also possible to see the original costume of the Turin mask known as ”Gianduja”, lent by the Famija Turineisa (a cultural association that organises cultural meetings to promote Turin traditions), and a timeline that tells the story of the great Piedmontese chocolate makers.
The opening of Choco Story Torino represents an important addition to the city’s cultural and tourist panorama. A place where the history of chocolate comes to life, offering visitors a unique experience that combines tradition, innovation and, of course, lots of taste. Turin thus confirms its role as the Italian capital of chocolate, celebrating a heritage rooted in centuries of history and passion.
PILLOLE DI GRAMMATICA
Is it “il cioccolato” or “la cioccolata”? According to the Accademia della Crusca, the two terms are synonymous and indicate a “mixture of cocoa and sugar, with the possible addition of flavourings or other substances, sold in powder form or in the form of bars and chocolates”. In practical usage, however, the feminine form is reserved for the hot drink and the masculine form for the solid product in the form of bars, pralines and chocolates.
Vorrei bere una tazza di cioccolata calda con la panna.
I would like to drink a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream.
La cioccolata si prepara sciogliendo il cioccolato in polvere nel latte caldo.
Hot chocolate is prepared by dissolving chocolate powder in hot milk.
Abbiamo acquistato una tavoletta di cioccolato.
We bought a chocolate bar.
Luisa ha preparato il ciambellone al cioccolato.
Luisa prepared the chocolate doughnut.
E ORA TOCCA A VOI!
Completare il testo con le seguenti parole mancanti:
nocciola tonda– milioni – impasto – fu perfezionata– il giro del mondo – cacao – barca rovesciata – maschera torinese – essere incartato – gianduia
Il gianduiotto è uno dei simboli della finissima arte dolciaria torinese; con la sua forma inconfondibile di ___________, è composto da un tipo di cioccolato denominato __________.
Il gianduia è un impasto di cioccolato nato proprio a Torino nel 1806. La sua creazione si attribuisce ai cioccolatai torinesi che, durante il blocco economico ordinato da Napoleone per i prodotti dell’industria britannica e delle sue colonie, sostituirono l’ormai costosissimo ___________ con la ___________ delle Langhe (più economica e facile da reperire).
Primo cioccolatino ad ___________ singolarmente, il gianduiotto fu prodotto per la prima volta dalla famosa società dolciaria torinese Caffarel, una delle più antiche aziende italiane di dolciumi, grazie a una macchina ideata dall’’imprenditore Paul Caffarel. L’___________ dell’epoca era composto da cacao, acqua, zucchero e vaniglia. Vent’anni più tardi la ricetta ___________ aggiungendo le nocciole tostate e macinate finemente.
La prima presentazione al grande pubblico ebbe luogo durante i festeggiamenti del carnevale del 1865 grazie alla __________ Gianduja che distribuiva per le strade della città questa nuova squisitezza. Da questo episodio i deliziosi cioccolatini hanno preso il nome di gianduiotti. Il successo fu immediato e da allora ogni anno vengono prodotti __________ di gianduiotti, industriali e artigianali, gustati in Italia e non solo. Una dolcezza e un sapore unico che da Torino ha fatto ___________ .
(liberamente tratto da “https://www.guidatorino.com/gianduiotto-storia-cioccolatino-torino/”

