7 August 2016
The last stop on our Tuscan Chocolate Valley adventures was in fact second last on our list. Hubby and I had not accounted for this……
The Italian lunchtime siesta.
This time, we found ourselves outside of Agliana, about 25km west of Florence, in search of the touted “Father of Tuscan Chocolates”.
Along a quiet country road, after several missed turns and u-turns, we finally arrived at the original Arte del Cioccolato……but to closed doors. We had just missed the morning opening hours.
Mental note to self and other chocolate aficionados: Check carefully for Italian opening hours. This information is not always correct on the web.
The next day, with 3 hours to spare till our scheduled flight to London, we re-attempt the visit. Success the 2nd time round! We arrive to a shopfront display of the man himself – Roberto Catinari.
Roberto has spent his lifetime devoted to his passion for chocolates. He started as a teenager in Switzerland, working his way up from dishwasher to the rank of chef in a pastry shop.Then in the 1970s, he decided to return to Tuscany, taking with him his artisanal skills and passion for chocolate making, to open his own shop. Today, more than 40 years on and well into his 70s, Roberto is still going strong and churning out exquisite creations of pralines, chocolate figurines and bars.
Setting foot into the shop, I am greeted by the ever so inviting aroma of chocolates. The colourful pralines, rochers and bars, behind the gleaming display counter, are a feast for the eyes. The decor isn’t fancy or contemporary. Nonetheless, it wins me over with a sense of warmth and nostalgia.
The lovely lady who serves us speaks little English. As the pralines aren’t individually labelled, choosing becomes a tad challenging. Thankfully, we are united in the language of chocolates and find a means to communicate by exchanging names of simple ingredients as we work through our selection.
So, how does chocolate, the recipe and craftsmanship of which have been refined for over half a century, taste?
Delicious is an understatement. I am blown away by how good each beautifully hand-made, bite-sized and dainty piece of chocolate tastes. The majority that we selected contain nocciola (hazelnut), either whole, crushed for texture in a praline or as a paste in gianduia. The unique flavours and textures of each are well accentuated.The chocolate itself, made from prized Sao Tome cocoa beans, is rich and smooth with well balanced sweetness.
I rate Roberto’s pralines to be amongst the best that I’ve tasted in Tuscany!
Caught out again by the Italian lunchtime siesta, we miss the opportunity to visit Mannori Pasticceria in Pistoia. We will have to save this experience for our next Tuscan adventure.
As I bid farewell to the Roberto Catinari experience and our Tuscan Chocolate adventures, I reflect on all that I have learnt and experienced and the chocolate connections that I have made along this journey.
I now truly appreciate how one can spend a lifetime devoted to chocolates, in this little slice of heaven that is Tuscany……
