Celebrate Chocolate in all its glory at Cioccolatò 2009 in Turin

Turin which is located in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy is largely regarded as the chocolate capital of Italy as it produces at least sixty percent of all the yummy chocolate that is produced in the country.

Turin Chocopass

Turin has been producing chocolates for over three centuries and the origins of Turin’s chocolate -making art can be traced back to the year 1678, when Madame Reale, who was then the Queen of the Savoy state, granted the first ever “license” to Turinese chocolate maker Giò Antonio Ari to make chocolates. Thus began the city’s love affair which chocolate which continues until this day. So much so that the Turin Tourist board has even created a special ‘Chocopass’ which you can buy on your visit to Turin, in order to sample the many mouth-watering wares of the Turinese chocolatiers. This Chocopass is currently priced at 12 Euros and entitles you to 22 delicious tastings at various historic cafes of Turin like Al Bicerin and Café Platti. Moreover you can stagger your tastings over three days so that you don’t get fed up of eating all that delicious chocolate in one day.

The chocolates created by these Turinese chocolatiers are truly special and include several specialties like the Gianduiotto which is a shaped like an upturned boat and crafted out of sugar, cocoa and hazelnut paste, the Baci di Cherasco (Cherasco Kisses) which are made with dark chocolate and hazelnuts , the Alpino which contain a heavenly liquor cream and are named after the hats worn by an Italian military regiment and the Bicerin, which is a truly decadent layered hot chocolate drink which also contains coffee.

Seduction and Chocolate

Apart from the Chocopass, Turin also celebrates this heavenly food of the gods at an annual celebration known as Cioccolatò which is held all over the city with an epicenter at Piazza Vittorio Veneto. This year this chocolate extravaganza will be held from Friday, the 6th March 2009 to Sunday the 15th of March and will include a wide array of chocolate flavored events which will celebrate the festival’s central theme,‘seduction by chocolate’ with a special emphasis on the feminine side.

The festival like in the previous years will feature famous chocolatiers from all over Italy and the world who will exhibit their scrumptious products at stalls which will be erected on Piazza Vittorio Veneto. You will then be able to sample a vast variety of heavenly delicacies as you stroll among the various stalls. It is estimated that the approximately 700,000 thousand guests that visit Cioccolatò every year consume nearly 30,000 kilos of the sweet, dark endorphin-releasing delight at the festival itself.

Apart from the tastings the festival will feature several special events which examine the marriage of chocolate with various foods and drinks, like chocolate and coffee, tea and chocolate, herbs and chocolate, almonds and chocolate, fruits and chocolate and the bizarre combination of cheese, olive oil, pepper and chocolate among others. These events will be held on various days of the ten day festival.

Women and Chocolate

Cioccolatò 2009, whose theme emphasizes the female connection with chocolate, will also feature a ‘Dinner for Chocolate’ which will showcase the talents of female chefs and women wine sommeliers. Yet another female centric event on the festival program will be a seminar called Women and Chocolate, Infinite Passion which will feature famous women of the Italian chocolate industry like Mariella Maione, chief executive of the Peyrano Company and Mary Zulli, the President of the Coperative Social Cocoa Break. So if you adore chocolate and consider yourself a chocoholic why not head to Turin for this year’s Cioccolatò?

Photo of chocolate heart by Rev Dan Catt

Topic:  Restaurants & Food | 4 Comments
Tags:  chocolate, festivals, food, Turin

About the author

Anjeeta Nayar is a professional freelance writer and blogger based in New York City. She relocated to the Big Apple from Mumbai two years ago. She loves New York City for its incredible buzz and energy. It really is the city that never sleeps and there is always something to do and see here. In addition to being a writer and blogger, she is also an avid traveler with London and cities in S.E.Asia being the places she enjoys visiting the most!