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Hazelnut Gianduja, please take to the stage
How Gianduja went from Theatre to Chocolate
Have you tried the rich, nutty goodness of our Hazelnut Gianduja Truffles? If you haven’t you’re missing out on a popular star of our show that comes in bite-sized chocolates of pure joy! The title may sound tenuous but these delicate chocolates actually have quite a tremendous history so stick with us, and let’s delve into how Hazelnut Gianduja became a loyal chocolate performer.
We will start by taking you to the theatre… ‘Commedia dell’arte’ to be exact…
‘Commedia dell’arte’ is an early form of professional Italian theatre from the 16th to 18th century. It would be composed of a troupe of performers, who travelled from town to town. Its nomadic element meant its popularity reached further and wider than its North Italian roots and all across Europe. Though a form of improvised theatre, the actors would embody stock characters, keeping a sense of familiarity. And one of the stock characters was an honest, jovial man from the Piemontese countryside named Gianduja…Sound familiar? His name is thought to derive from the ‘Gioan d’la douja’ meaning ‘John of the Jug’ or the French ‘Jean Andouille’ meaning ‘John Sausage’, both referring to the character’s known love of food and wine.
FUN FACT: Today a mask of Gianduja is considered the official mask of Turin, Piedmont, Italy.
Enter Gianduja stage right…
How did this fun-loving Italian character become the namesake of a whole new way of making chocolate?.. Well, as most things, it comes down to politics. In the early 19th century, French General Napoleon, as part of the Napoleonic wars, decreed a policy called the Continental System where it limited enemy trade across French-occupied European ports. This greatly impacted the import of cacao from the Americas (this was predominantly colonial British trade). Some countries went as far as disguising their ships in ally or neutral colours, to try and bypass these issues. Consequently, cacao supply was running very low but its demand was as high as ever… even in history we can’t seem to live without chocolate. To eradicate the problem, here enters Gianduja stage right… wait, not quite yet… enter the Hazelnut… center stage! (sorry Gianduja… you’ll have your time).
The Hazelnuts of Piedmont
During this time of cacao scarcity, the chocolate makers of Turin, Piedmont looked to their surroundings to find a solution. Surrounding them were plentiful trees growing their world renowned hazelnuts. The particular rich soil and altitudes of this North Italian region are perfect for growing the versatile nut. So, chocolate makers got inventive using hazelnut butter or paste to subsidise a percentage of the cacao. Quite frankly, the combination achieved a standing ovation! It succeeded in not only the continuation of chocolate supply to the people but in becoming a character–sorry product– in its own right, long past the restrictions of the Napoleonic wars.
FUN FACT: Hazelnut Gianduja will contain at least 30% hazelnut paste (at Radek’s Chocolate we do 32%).
Now’s your time to shine Gianduja…
With this new phenomena hailing from Turin, Piedmont, it was fitting that the people of Turin named it after something that truly represented them as people… can you guess who?.. Drum roll please… GIANDUJA!!!… and the crowd goes wild!!! Where Gianduja symbolised the everyday person of Piedmont, the Hazelnut Gianduja became a chocolate to symbolise their resilience and inventiveness… so, why not share a name?
How does Hazelnut Gianduja perform at Radek’s Chocolate?
The hazelnut butter added to our chocolate creates a melt-in-your-mouth creaminess that we cannot resist in our truffles. I hope you enjoyed the history of Gianduja but for more on the process of creating our special Hazelnut Gianduja truffles why not read this blog post? For now it is curtain close and a round of applause for Gianduja the chocolate, the character and the emblem.
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