Chocolate is a treat that we often indulge in without thinking twice- but it’s important to note the extensive, winding history that’s behind each bite- even more so for specialty chocolates. The story behind such a defining chocolate like gianduia traces back to a small grocery store, a wartime shortage, and one very unique hazelnut.

Gianduia is Piedmont’s gift to the chocolate world, and Pernigotti is one of the families that spent the last 165 years making sure it was done right.

A Grocery Store, a Founder, and an Idea Walk into a Bar

Pernigotti didn’t begin in a gleaming factory with a huge marketing department and a five-year plan. It started in 1860, when a man named Stefano Pernigotti opened a humble grocery store in the center of Novi Ligure, a small town tucked into the hills of Piedmont. The locals loved his sweets, and word of his nougat spread until the little grocery outgrew its own shelves. Within a few years, Pernigotti grew beyond just a shop and started becoming a name that people talked about.

The quality got noticed in high places, too. In 1882, King Umberto I and the royal house named Pernigotti as an official supplier and granted the company the right to use the royal coat of arms (Not a bad endorsement for a former corner grocery!)

WAR! What is it Good For?

During the First World War, sugar was banned for confectionery, which was a small catastrophe for anyone in the business of making things delicious. Rather than close up shop, Paolo Pernigotti, the founder’s son, did what the great ones always do and turned the problem into a signature. He reworked the nougat recipe, replacing the missing sugar with a higher concentration of honey, and ended up with a torrone that was arguably better than the original: richer, more aromatic, unmistakably its own. This ingenuity is akin to diamond growing under extreme pressure.

And if that sounds familiar, it’s because the entire story of gianduia works the same way.

No Supplies, No Problem!

To understand why Pernigotti’s 1927 leap into Gianduiotto was such a big deal, you have to rewind all the way to Napoleon. In the early 19th century, Napoleon’s Continental Blockade cut off trade routes across Europe, making cocoa beans scarce and expensive. Turin’s chocolatiers, staring down a shortage of their single most important ingredient, looked around for something to stretch it with, and found the answer growing right in their own backyard.

That answer was the Tonda Gentile delle Langhe hazelnut, a prized variety grown in the hills of Piedmont, known for its delicate aroma and sweet, buttery flavor. They ground it into a paste, blended it with the cocoa they had left, and by some miracle, created something better than what they’d been rationing. Through this happy accident, Turin’s artisans created something unexpected: a confection smoother, nuttier, and more complex than plain chocolate: Gianduia!

The little wrapped version, the gianduiotto, made its public debut at the 1865 Turin Carnival, handed out by the grinning Gianduja mask it was named after. One detail is worth remembering: real gianduia isn’t just the chocolate, but the recipe used to make it. Quality gianduja uses Piedmont IGP (Unfamiliar acronym? Read our previous blog article!) hazelnuts, a protected designation that guarantees the specific Tonda Gentile delle Langhe variety.

By 1927, Pernigotti was producing Gianduiotto in earnest, and it became one of the defining symbols of the Piedmontese chocolate tradition, first in Italy and then everywhere. Over the following decades the company earned itself the rarest kind of status, becoming a lovemark, the sort of brand people doesn’t just buy but they will give up their first-born for (not literally but their loyalty is along those lines).

Roll Call for Your Shelves

Il Gianduiotto The original and the icon with that upturned-boat shape, gold foil, slow melt on the tongue that releases hazelnut and chocolate in equal measure. This is the one that started it all and will definitely outlive us.

• Taste: Deep cocoa up front, then that unmistakable roasted Piedmont hazelnut sweetness that lingers long after the chocolate has melted away.

Il Cremino This layered little marvel, with bands of gianduia paste stacked around a contrasting cream center and cut into neat squares is the elegant cousin of the gianduiotto.

• Taste: Silky, layered, and beautifully balanced, with the hazelnut and cream playing off each other in every bite.

Il Nocciolato One for the nutty hazelnut devotees, this one is studded with whole Piedmont hazelnuts, with a crunch that will turn heads if you try to indulge yourself at the movies.

• Taste: Toasty, nutty, and satisfyingly textured, with whole hazelnuts in every break of the bar.

Il Torrone (Nougat) The product that put Pernigotti on the map in the first place, and the same tradition Paolo rescued with honey a century ago. Offered classic or chocolate-coated (ricoperto), it’s a holiday favorite and a year-round pleasure.

• Taste: Honeyed and aromatic, ranging from tender to firm depending on the style, with a fragrance that fills the room the moment the package is opened.

We could keep listing beloved variations and new additions, but you can find the rest in our 2026 Holiday Catalog! (click here to view it)

Eat a Piece of History, Not Just Chocolate

Among the new additions to our portfolio, Pernigotti stands apart, both for its category and for the depth of history behind it. The quality and the recipe are nearly impossible to replicate, and a single bite is usually enough to make someone reach for the whole box. Every piece carries generations of history and tradition, and we think that is exactly what makes it such a fitting addition to this upcoming holiday season.