Food and wine
Chocolate is not a Tuscan material of ancient tradition. Cacao arrived in Europe from the Americas in the sixteenth century, and conquered first Spain, then Italy, and in particular the Grand Duchy of Tuscany — the Medici court was among the first to import it and to practise working it. From that noble root grew a Tuscan chocolate-making tradition that today lives above all in Pistoia and Prato, and that has found new vitality over recent decades thanks to a generation of signature maître chocolatiers.
Where
The geographies of Tuscan chocolate are clear-cut. Pistoia and its province are home to fine chocolate workshops, some with family traditions going back decades, others born out of the new generation of artisans. Firenze has historic chocolate shops in the city centre, with a discerning tourist clientele. Workshops of excellence also exist in Lucca, Siena, Pisa, where master chocolatiers often work in small family-run workshops.
How
The techniques of chocolate call for chemical knowledge and precise handling. Cacao beans arrive from tropical countries (Venezuela, Ecuador, Madagascar, Ghana, the Dominican Republic) and are roasted, conched (worked at length to develop the aromas and reduce acidity) and tempered (cooled to specific temperatures to stabilise the crystals of cocoa butter). Tempering is the decisive moment: without correct tempering the chocolate does not shine, has no snap and develops bloom (whitish marks on the surface). Praline work covers fillings of ganache (chocolate and cream), gianduia (chocolate and hazelnuts), almond paste, dried fruit and liqueurs. Sculpture in chocolate — decorated Easter eggs, sculptures for ceremonies — calls for specific artistic skills. Moulding in polycarbonate moulds gives the pralines the regular, glossy shapes of the finished product. Filled chocolates are assembled by hand, with a shell of tempered chocolate and a filling poured at controlled temperature.
Now
The informed consumer distinguishes between industrial chocolate (with added vegetable fats, low percentages of cacao, abundant sugar) and signature chocolate (selected single-origin cacao, high percentages, artisan working). The finest chocolatiers live on direct sales at the workshop, on e-commerce, on quality exports, on events and international fairs. The challenge is global competition (Belgium, Switzerland and France) and the price of good cacao.