While many families are divided between those who love Panettone and those who love Pandoro, there is no doubt that Torrone - Nougat - will be on every Italian table for Christmas.

The origins of Torrone are debated, some say it was the Arabs that imported this recipe to Sicily and that it was so loved by Roman Emperors that they made it popular all over the Italian peninsula and the rest of Europe.

What is undoubtedly true is that for such a simple recipe to turn out so good best quality ingredients and the experience of the “mastro dolciario” are the two things that matter most.

Our dream, when we opened Bella Italia, was to find the best producers for each delicacy we import and for Torrone we had no doubts...

 

Once Upon a Time…

The story of Di Iorio begins with the great, great, great, great grandfather of Gianni Festa, who is today the owner of Di Iorio.

The long family tradition began in 1750 in Santa Paolina, a small village in Campania: Gianni’s ancestors produced their Torrone in a small shop and traveled to the nearby villages to sell it at local fairs.

From father to son the tradition continued and in 1928 Vincenzo Di Iorio, great grandfather of Gianni, received the first official license to produce and sell Torrone.

Gianni Festa, Mastro Dolciere | Vincenzo Di Iorio, great grandfather of Gianni | The first License to produce Torrone

 

WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

 

Honey, egg whites, almonds and hazelnuts: these have been the basic ingredients of Torrone for thousands of years. The original recipe never changed, so what makes the difference?

Di Iorio’s Almonds come from nearby Puglia, where the most appreciated almonds in Italy are produced and they use only the finest hazelnuts from the area around Avellino, where they are based. Hazelnuts from this region are sweeter and delicate and have a great aroma. And then honey: they select the best Acacia’s honey from local producers.

Then it is time to cook the ingredients all together, very slowly: 16 hours at least. Only 250 years of experience can tell you when Torrone is finally ready.

 

TRADITION MEETS INNOVATION

 

As it often happens for many family businesses, each generation added some new recipe to the family book: the soft nougat called “Monachino” was invented by Vincenzo to allow the old monks of a nearby convent to enjoy this treat at any age, and many other recipes were added experimenting with new ingredients like pistachios and liquor. And it does not stop here…

Torrone is a classic for winter and unmissable on Christmas day, but Gianni used his amazing ingredients and his expertise to create new treats that are perfect all year round: chocolate-coated almonds and hazelnuts and candied orange and lemon peel covered in dark chocolate are just some examples!

We are proud to work with Di Iorio and we are sure you will taste the difference when you try these amazing artisanal sweets!

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