Gianduiotto Chocolate-Hazelnut Truffle, 6 pc.

(Pronounced John Doy Oh Toe) Gianduiotto is a traditional Italian treat. During Napoleon’s early 1800’s invasion of much of Europe, his navy established a blockade preventing the import of many crucial goods into Italian ports. Notably, cocoa imports were unable to reach the mainland, driving the price of South American cocoa sky high. In an effort to stretch remaining  cocoa reserves, Italian chocolate makers began stretching their supply by refining hazelnuts into their chocolate. Hazelnuts, which are a staple crop of Italy, not only imparted their signature nutty flavor into the chocolate, but their monoglyceride fats softened the resultant texture, giving birth to two new confections: gianduja (the chocolate hazelnut spread we also sell, commonly known by the brand name Nutella), and Gianduiotto, the soft-set confection. Both get their name from Gianduja, a clown character in a traditional Italian children’s play. Our gianduiotto is very simple – house dark chocolate, hazelnuts, and sugar. Just like the gianduja, the hazelnuts used for these are grown in New Jersey by the folks at Rutgers University. Best of all, it’s vegan!