If, even after a full day of sipping hot chocolates, you need more, Turin airport has you covered with Venchi. Venchi is another classic Turin born chocolate company started in 1878 by a then 20 year old but already chocolate obsessed Silvano Venchi. There are now Venchi stores in more than 70 countries. As I scroll through their beautiful storefronts on my phone, from Dubai, to Tokyo and New York, this little stall in Turin airport is obviously not meant to impress but to give travellers a last chance to grab some more of Turin to take home with them.
They sell a hot chocolate powder made with 22% cocoa, a lot of sugar and a bit of corn-starch which will thicken your drink to make it “Italian style”. This is what I tried and, yes, it came with both a straw and a spoon in a plastic cup placed into a second plastic cup. Classy…but I’ll take it. I’m not keen to let go of Turin quite yet.
This post is mostly just a celebration of the rainbow that is Turin chocolates with a selection of all Turin’s most famous and unique chocolates including the gianduiotto made with hazelnuts and chocolate, the cremino with a layer of pistachio sandwiched between two layers of gianduja, and their nougatine based on a recipe that hasn’t changed since 1905.
While sipping, I tried to get some more information about Venchi. Their website has no information on where or how they source their cocoa or anything about their production process. They are working to use more sustainable packaging (and report on this on their website) and, as expected, procure hazelnuts from local producers in the Langhe area.
When you are done sipping your hot chocolate, Venchi also makes very good ice-cream and has a new range using cocoa fruit juice in collaboration with Koa, a Ghana-based cocoa fruit juice start up.
Verdict: Venchi, Turin Airport and in many other locations around them world.
