Caffarel - Creamy Gianduia Chocolate bars - March 8, 2019

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Caffarel Chocolate
Gianduia 1865 - Creamy Dark Gianduia Chocolate (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.34 oz. (38 g.) / 3.53 oz. (100 g.) in total package
Calories: 240 calories in 3 squares
Cost: $3.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Caffarel Chocolate
Gianduia 1865 - Creamy Gianduia Chocolate (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.34 oz. (38 g.) / 3.53 oz. (100 g.) in total package
Calories: 220 calories in 3 squares
Cost: $3.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

Happily, today is another double hazelnut day, with not one, but two Gianduia bars from Caffarel Chocolate* (Turin, Italy).

Both were velvety blends of chocolate and finely ground hazelnuts with a satisfying, creamy mouthfeel and melt. (And both were labeled gluten free.) The dark chocolate version was, as expected, a little darker in color and flavor.

*Caffarel was founded in the 1800s in northern Italy. Operations continue in Turin, Italy; and the company is now a subsidiary of Swiss chocolate giant, Lindt and Sprungli.

Caffarel - milk and dark gianduia chocolates - March 7, 2019

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Caffarel
Creamy Gianduia Pralines
Good
Weight: 1.48 oz. (42 g.) / 4.41 oz. (125 g.) in total package
Calories: 240 calories in 5 pieces
Cost: $5.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Caffarel
Piemonte Gianduia assortment milk and dark with Italian hazelnuts
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.37 oz. (39 g.) / 4.41 oz. (125 g.) in total package
Calories: 240 calories in 3 pieces
Cost: $5.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

What's better than an Italian chocolate with hazelnuts? Two different Italian chocolates with hazelnuts.

Both these individually-wrapped chocolates had a great nutty aroma and flavor. But the highlight was the creamy melt and mouthfeel, characteristic of gianduia from northern Italy, made with chocolate and finely ground hazelnuts.

The Piemonte pieces also included Italian hazelnuts which helped balance out the sweetness and created a pleasing textural contrast between creamy and crunchy.

Caffarel began making chocolate in northern Italy (Turin) in the 1820s. The company still maintains operations there. However, it is now a subsidiary of Swiss chocolate maker Lindt and Sprungli.

Caffarel - Latte, Gianduia chocolates - Sept. 30, 2015

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Caffarel
- Latte chocolate
- Gianduia chocolate
Good ++
Weight: .7 oz. (19.8 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 105 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
Cost: $ ?.?? (lost info)
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Italy Theme Week.

Today's small, egg-shaped, Latte and Gianduia chocolates from Caffarel of Torino, Italy (now part of Nestle), were swathed in cheery yellow and green paper outer wrappers. Inside each was a foil-wrapped egg.

These milk chocolates where coated with creamy chocolate and were stuffed with an even creamier, slightly buttery and flavorful ganache (filling); the latter (green) one was hazelnut flavored.

Thanks to Elana T. at SweetE Organic (Mill Valley, CA) for stocking some great Italian sweets. I picked these up at her store earlier this year.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Caffarel - Cioccolato e Limoncello - Dec. 28, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Caffarel
Cioccolato e Limoncello
Good
Weight: 1.13 oz. (32 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 169 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $2.60 for 2 pieces
Purchased from: Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, Sonoma, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Lemon Theme Week.

These Cioccolato e Limoncello liqueur chocolates from Caffarel (Italy) came attractively packaged -- individually wrapped with a twist. A dark chocolate shell contained a soft, sunny yellow, Limoncello filling.

The limoncello (an Italian lemon infused liqueur) filling was fairly authentic tasting, but without a strong alcohol flavor.

Caffarel - Nocciolotto bar - Dec. 20, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Caffarel
(a subsidiary of Lindt and Sprungli)
Nocciolotto bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 210 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $3.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, Sonoma, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

I enjoyed this "curvy" Nocciolotto bar from Caffarel (Luserna San Giovanni, Italy) with
"whole crunchy hazelnuts covered with... Gianduia chocolate."

Gianduia or gianduja is a creamy chocolate and hazelnut blend that evolved into spreads and fillings for chocolates and confections.

Caffarel ("Eccellenza Piemontese") was founded in the 1800s in Turin -- in the piedmont (foot of the mountains) region of northern Italy. This is the area where great gianduja* was born. And Caffarel helped make it so. More recently Caffarel became a subsidiary of Lindt and Sprungli (Switzerland).

Caffarel - individually wrapped chocolates - July 24, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Caffarel
3 pieces
Very Good
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31.13 g.) (estimate) in 3 pieces
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 3 pieces
Cost: $0.95 each x 3 = $2.85 total for 3 pieces
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Italy Theme Week.

These three individually wrapped gianduiotto pieces from Caffarel (founded in Turin, Italy, and now a subsidiary of Lindt and Sprungli) offers "Eccellenza Piemontese" (roughly translated: Piedmont regional excellence). Underneath these bella orange, purple and green foil wrappings were handsome, wedge shaped, creamy chocolate infused with finely ground hazelnut flavor.

On a Related Note...
The Piedmont region of Northern Italy (that includes the city of Torino, or Turin) is the birthplace of many wonderful hazelnut chocolates and buttery hazelnut chocolate spreads.

I also sampled a gianduiotto product from Giraudi, similar to today's chocolates from Caffarel described above. These slightly smaller hazelnut chocolates tasted very similar, which is to say they were very good as well.