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The history of the birth of the Gianduiotto of Turin begins in 1559. After the signing of the peace treaty of Chateau Cambresis, Emanuele Filiberto imports the first cocoa seeds into the Savoy state. In a short time, the consumption of cocoa beverages spreads.
In the 19th century, cocoa continues to be in high demand in Turin. It is now common to enjoy it in various forms and flavors.
In 1826, Giovanni Martina Bianchini creates a machine to produce sweets with cocoa, water, sugar, and vanilla. The machine produces what can be considered the very first chocolate.
History of the Gianduiotto
In this context, it seems that the invention of Gianduia paste is mainly due to the Continental Blockade issued by Napoleon in 1806. Cocoa was mainly traded by the English, but with the Continental Blockade, he prohibited the docking of British ships in any port under French rule.
Gianduiotto Cafarel Gianduiotto Cafarel To cope with the scarcity of cocoa, Michele Prochet decided to replace part of the cocoa with hazelnuts from the Langhe, of which Piedmont had plenty. The chocolate thus produced with cocoa, hazelnuts, and sugar saw the light in 1852.
However, according to tradition, the Gianduiotto was first produced by Caffarel and distributed for free by the mask Gianduja (from which it takes its name) during the Carnival of 1865.
But is it all true?
This story is certainly fascinating, but it seems a bit questionable. First of all, the blockade imposed by Napoleon also caused the price of sugar (absolutely necessary for preparation) to skyrocket, which quickly disappeared from the markets. Secondly, the Continental Blockade ended with the Restoration in 1814.
Moreover, it should be noted that Michele Prochet was born in 1839, so in 1852 he was about 12-13 years old. Is it possible that a boy created such a revolutionary paste? Certainly possible, but very unlikely.
In truth, even the date of 1865 presents some doubts. There are no documented confirmations of the distribution of the Gianduiotto at the Carnival of 1865. Caffarel itself began a massive promotion of the Gianduiotto with postcards and packaging only in 1899-1900.
The fact remains that the Gianduiotto was the first chocolate to be individually wrapped. Following its success, Caffarel registered the trademark, so much so that today it is still the only company that can place the Gianduja mask on the chocolate.
Production
For a long time, the Gianduiotto was prepared in molds and cut by hand. The paste made with hazelnuts did not adapt to mold production.
However, over time, two different techniques for production were developed. Extrusion production involves pouring the paste directly onto plates, without the use of molds. Special machines designed for this product are usually used for this.
Industrial production is carried out by casting. A paste with a lower percentage of chocolate is poured into molds. The final result is a slightly harder product, necessary to detach from the mold.
Why is it called Gianduiotto?
As mentioned, the name derives from the Carnival mask Gianduja. The various theories about the origin of the name Gianduja all somehow refer to the Asti dialect. The name would derive from Gioann dla doja, meaning Giovanni of the jug. Gianduja is often depicted as ruddy with a jug in hand.
For this reason, it would be more correct to call it Giandujotto.
The history of the Gianduiotto repeats again
Similarly to what happened with the Continental Blockade imposed by Napoleon, during World War II, Italy again faced a shortage of cocoa. Pietro Ferrero, owner of a pastry company in Alba, replaced cocoa with hazelnuts for his creams. In 1946, he sold the first 300 kg (in cutting blocks) of Giandujot paste.
Five years later, Supercrema was born, sold in large jars. Pietro’s son, Michele Ferrero, in 1963, decided to modify Supercrema to market it throughout Europe. He changed its composition, giving it the more appealing name Nutella (based on the English word nut, meaning hazelnut) and registered the trademark. The first jar of Nutella left the Alba factory on April 20, 1964. Since then, its success has never stopped.