Caffarel Blue

I confess. Italy has seduced me, brought me to do things far beyond my normal morality. Venchi's Cuor di cacao left me only wanting more, so I abandoned my reason, my plans and my senses, and drove to Stuttgart, searching for the satisfaction that Venchi had taken from me.
In Stuttgart, I found di Gennaro. "So heisst geniessen auf Italienisch." "That's what they call enjoyment in Italian."

Di Gennaro is a local importer of Italian goods. Very upscale, they offer a wide variety of fresh Italian meats, cheeses, pasta and more. DH and I tasted a basalmic vinegar that was so sweet, so smooth, so fruity that we had to check if it was indeed vinegar.
Venchi was there, as was Caffarel and others. Even Dolfin chocolate from Belgium had a presence. We bought fresh tortellini and ravioli, fontina cheese, ham and chocolate. (I'll post my special recipe for fontina sauce in another post. Deadly, but worth it once in a while.)

My Italian lust was finally sated by Caffarel Blue, as I fondly call Caffarel's Gianduiotto Fondente. These darker cousins are even better than the Caffarel Gianduja that I reviewed earlier. Caffarel reinvented their original Gianduja recipe to make it even more rich. Reinventing the recipe was definitely worth it, as opposed to, say, New Coke, or, more recently, Brownberry Bread.

This time nothing would do except to have a bag full of the treasures. Even the wrapper is elegant and inviting, with a deep blue foil and gold print.

The chocolate itself is a dark nougat, coated in a layer of equally soft chocolate. They replaced the milk used in the Gianduja with an Ariba chocolate, creating a more intense experience. Otherwise it's still the same 150 year old recipe.

Reviewed: Caffarel Gianduiotto (Caffarel Blue)

Personality: Just right: the right size, the right taste

How to enjoy: A great everyday chocolate

Rating:

1: Better than sex

2: Little bites of heaven

3: Share with your best friend

4: Will do in a pinch

5: Halloween candy

Where to buy:

Germany: Salon du Cacao

USA: stores supplied by Daprano

UK: still looking for a source in the UK. Any ideas? Let me know.

Italy: Caffarel in Turin