Davide Appendino’s workshop, where he produces the chocolate on sale at the shop in Via Cavour, is in the heart of Turin’s Borgo Vittoria neighborhood, a stone’s throw from the huge Piazza della Vittoria market. It’s a place of historical and sentimental value since in 1949, when it was built, it belonged to the pastry shop of the Dell’Agnese family (who are related to the Appendinos), a local institution. In 2010 it was converted for chocolate production, starting from the cacao beans. In the courtyard, guided “Planet Cacao” workshops are organized for children. Appendino’s strength lies in his painstaking choice of certified organic mono-origin cacaos from Ecuador, Cuba, India and Madagascar. After roasting, the beans are ground in a stone mill, then conched without the addition of soy lecithin, vanilla aromas and the like, which tend to make products uniform. Hence 75% dark chocolate bars, mono-origin dark or milk chocolate giandujotti, and gianduia paste spreads (with 50% hazelnuts).
