Gianduja - Hazelnut Milk Chocolate

A delightful blend of premium milk chocolate and roasted hazelnut paste converge to create this premium gianduja. With 21% of the bar consisting of nut paste, each 5.5-pound chocolate bar is solid yet considerably softer than other chocolates, making it easy to slice or chop. A delicious combination, notes of toasted hazelnut are balanced perfectly by the luxurious taste of milk chocolate.

There is no end of applications for this classic Italian preparation. Sliced down into individual squares, simply cover with well-tempered chocolate for a delicious truffle. Once melted, gianduja makes for a delicious addition to hot chocolate or ganache. Flavor buttercreams, glazes, mousses, and ice cream bases, with the rich taste of chocolate and hazelnuts. The culinary possibilities of this delightful chocolate are practically infinite!

They say that scarcity is the mother of invention, and nowhere is that more true than in the story of Gianduja. Following the Napoleonic wars, the cash-strapped Italian government issued a tax hike on certain domestic products, cocoa being one of them. This following on the heels of chocolate rationing during the war spelled demise for many Italian chocolatiers. At least until one resourceful Italian, by the name of Pier Paul Caffarel, started experimenting with the addition of local ingredients. Adding a ground paste of hazelnuts to his chocolate added a rich nutty flavor as well as some much-needed bulk. Chocolate was able to go much further and the new flavor was a big hit with all who tried it. A capital idea that was the impetus behind a now prominent company, and the predecessor to a slew of imitations and copies. Heck, where do you think Nutella got the idea?