Gianduiotti di Torino

Gianduiotti are not truffles. They are not bonbons. They are something uniquely Torinese, born from crisis and perfected through generations of cioccolatieri who understood that limitation can produce genius.

The chocolate must yield to the hazelnut, not the other way around. When you bite through the soft, dense confection, you should taste nut first, then chocolate, then the two together in a flavor that neither could produce alone. This is what distinguishes true gianduja from the countless imitations that use too much chocolate or, worse, hazelnut flavoring.

Piedmont hazelnuts are not negotiable. The Tonda Gentile delle Langhe, grown in the hills south of Turin, has a flavor and fat content that no other hazelnut can match. If you cannot find them, use the best Italian hazelnuts available. Never use blanched or pre-skinned nuts from a bag. Toast them yourself. The difference is the difference between making gianduiotti and making chocolate candy with nuts.