A tasting tour discovering Gianduiotti and other traditional chocolates in Turin

In Turin chocolates are serious business. For centuries, the city has had a prestigious community of chocolatiers, creating delicious sweets that are prized across the world. If you are flying to Piedmont, make a point of sampling all of the city's finest treats and find some souvenirs for your friends back home.

Gianduja is one of the city's most famous chocolate creations. Made from a mixture of hazelnuts and chocolate this spreadable confectionery was invented when Turin was under a British blockade during the Napoleonic Wars. Although it was intended to make reserves of chocolate go further, it soon became a popular everyday item for local people.

By the 1850s, Gianduiotti were being produced by the firm Caffarel in their now famous shape. Nowadays, these sweet delights have found a new audience with vegans, as they contain no milk, just chocolate, sugar and hazelnuts. Be sure to pick up a pack or two during your stay.

Along with Gianduiotti, you can also find Nocciolati - huge chunks of chocolate full of hazelnuts - three-layered Cremino featuring coffee cream and gianduja as well as chocolate truffles (tartufi) and Cri Cri, which has a crisp white sugar coating and soft chocolate inside.

Turin remains home to many large chocolate producers today, and each maker has their own specialities to sample. Visitors can take a look around factories just outside the city or view traditional machinery used to work the chocolate in Turin's city centre.

During your stay in Turin you will also have plenty of chances to try the dense, creamy hot chocolate known as Bicerin, with its inviting blend of espresso coffee and decadent chocolate.

Turin adores chocolate so much that the city hosts an annual festival dedicated to it - CioccolaTO. Held every November, the fair attracts all of the region's best artisan producers along with over 300,000 shoppers looking for the next big thing in the confectionery world.

If you feel the need to indulge your sweet tooth, Turin is the perfect destination for lovers of fine food, with sweet delights and souvenirs that everyone can enjoy.