Italian Chocolate: a rich, complex and delicious story

From Modica to Nutella and Beyond

Tasting at Bonajuto in Modica, Sicily — Tasting chocolate at Bonajuto in Modica, Sicily

Italy might be most famous for pasta, pizza, and wine, but there’s another delicious element of Italian culture that’s often overlooked: Italian chocolate. And right now, it’s having a major moment in the global spotlight. Why? Because the legendary Italian chocolate and confectionery empire Ferrero—the family-owned company behind Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, and Kinder—has just acquired Kellogg’s in a $31 billion deal. That’s right: the brand that brought us breakfast cereals like Corn Flakes is now in the hands of an Italian chocolate empire that started with a humble pastry maker in the Piedmont hills.

This acquisition isn’t just a business story—it’s the latest chapter in the rich, complex, and utterly delicious story of Italian chocolate. In this week’s episode of the Flavor of Italy podcast, we travel from the sun-drenched streets of Modica, Sicily, to the elegant cafes of Torino in Piedmont to uncover the cultural, historical, and culinary threads of Italian chocolate.

The First Cocoa Beans in Italy: Modica, Sicily

Italian chocolate doesn’t begin in Piedmont’s chic boutiques—it begins in Modica, a stunning Baroque town in southeastern Sicily. Under Spanish rule in the 16th century, Sicily became one of the first European entry points for New World ingredients, including cocoa. What’s remarkable is that Modica still produces chocolate using the same ancient technique introduced by the Spanish, who had learned it from the Aztecs.

Modica’s method is called “cold pressed” or “cold ground” chocolate. The cocoa mass is gently warmed, not conched or tempered like modern chocolates, and coarse sugar is added without fully melting. The result? A grainy, rustic, and powerfully aromatic chocolate that might surprise first-time tasters with its sandy texture and bold flavor.

No milk. No emulsifiers. No silky smooth finish. Just cocoa, sugar, and sometimes local ingredients like cinnamon, citrus peel, or chili pepper. It’s a bar that connects the past to the present, from Mesoamerican rituals to Sicilian tradition.

More than a century ago Bonajuto was recognized as the top Modica chocolate producer in Sicily

Antica Dolceria Bonajuto: The Heart of Modica’s Chocolate Tradition

At the center of Modica’s chocolate culture is Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, founded in 1880. It’s one of the oldest chocolate shops in all of Italy, and it has remained a family-run business for six generations. I had the pleasure of interviewing Pier Paolo Ruta, who now runs Bonajuto, and our conversation was unforgettable.

Pier Paolo speaks of chocolate not just as a product, but as a cultural artifact. In his shop, vintage-wrapped bars line the shelves, infused with flavors like cardamom, lemon zest, or sea salt. The Bonajuto family doesn’t just make chocolate—they also preserve antique equipment, archive historical documents, and host exhibitions that link chocolate to Sicily’s culinary and colonial history.

If you ever find yourself in Sicily, don’t miss a visit to Bonajuto in Modica. On a hot summer afternoon, stepping into the cool, cocoa-scented shop feels like entering another world—one where tradition, taste, and history are intertwined.

Ferrero and the Italian Chocolate Empire of Nutella

While Modica tells the story of Italian chocolate’s past, Ferrero represents its industrial, modern-day evolution. Founded by Pietro Ferrero in 1946 in Alba, Piedmont, the company began as a humble pastry shop. But due to postwar cocoa shortages, Pietro turned to a local treasure: the sweet, aromatic hazelnuts of the Langhe hills.

Mixing ground hazelnuts with limited cocoa, Ferrero created a chocolate-hazelnut paste originally called Pasta Gianduja, which eventually evolved into Supercrema, and finally in 1964, the Nutella we know today. Nutella became a cultural icon in Italy and abroad, spreading across breakfast tables, crepes, and hearts around the globe.

Ferrero didn’t stop there. They introduced Ferrero Rocher, Pocket Coffee, Mon Chéri, and the entire Kinder line. Each product was carefully designed to meet a specific emotional or culinary moment—whether a midday pick-me-up or a childhood treat.

Gianduia by Guido Castagna Torino — Gianduia chocolates by Guido Castagna Torino

Giovanni Ferrero: The Invisible Billionaire Behind the Italian Chocolate Brand

Today, Giovanni Ferrero—a reserved, multilingual intellectual and published novelist—runs the Ferrero Group. Though he avoids the spotlight, his impact has been monumental. Under his leadership, Ferrero has acquired Fannie May, Thorntons, the U.S. candy division of Nestlé, and most recently, Kellogg’s.

Yet despite this industrial scale, Ferrero remains a deeply Italian company. Its factories are famously clean and high-tech—but shrouded in secrecy. The Nutella recipe is a tightly guarded secret. No public tours, no media walkthroughs. It’s a culture of precision and loyalty, bolstered by the Ferrero Foundation, which supports employees and retirees in Alba through cultural and scientific initiatives.

Ferrero also champions sustainability: 100% sustainable cocoa sourcing, renewable energy in European factories, and hazelnut traceability projects are just a few examples of their quiet but powerful commitments.

Venchi: The Boutique Side of Italian Chocolate

If Ferrero is industry, Venchi is artistry. Founded in 1878 by Silviano Venchi, a 20-year-old chocolatier in Torino, the company started with just two bronze cauldrons. His invention—Nougatine, a caramelized hazelnut treat dipped in dark chocolate—helped launch Venchi to royal recognition.

Venchi expanded rapidly but hit hard times during the political and economic crises of the mid-20th century. After collapsing in 1978, it was quietly revived by Pietro Cussino and later by a group of entrepreneurs including his nephew Giovanni Battista Mantelli. They restored Venchi’s heritage recipes and infused the brand with modern elegance.

Today, Venchi is all about high-end indulgence. Their chocolates are made with Piedmont hazelnuts, Bronte pistachios, and Rainforest Alliance certified cocoa. They also make over 90 flavors of gelato. Visit any Venchi shop—from Milan to New York to Dubai—and you’re met with marble counters, glowing lights, and even chocolate waterfalls cascading down the walls.

Venchi’s Chocaviar line features tiny beads of extra dark chocolate that melt in your mouth. Their bars are often infused with bold ingredients: ginger, sea salt, Sicilian orange peel. Their packaging is designed by artists. Their sustainability plan is ambitious—recyclable packaging, reduced energy consumption, and zero waste goals for 2025.

Venchi’s message? Italian chocolate is not just to be eaten. It’s to be experienced.

Italian Chocolate Is a Story, Not Just a Sweet

So what is Italian chocolate, really? It’s not one thing. It’s Modica’s ancient, grainy ritual. It’s Ferrero’s industrial scale with a human touch. It’s Venchi’s boutique artistry and innovation.

It’s chocolate as history, as memory, as pleasure. It’s a rustic bar of Modica chocolate on a quiet Sicilian street. A spoonful of Nutella in a school lunch. A glossy Venchi praline shared in a moment of celebration.

Each tells a different story of Italy, from its regional identity to its global imagination. And each is worth savoring.