Valentine’s Day Gift Guide: The Best Italian Chocolates

Valentine’s Day Gift Guide: The Best Italian Chocolates

If you are looking for a romantic Valentine's Day gift, Italian chocolates are among the finest in the world. "Italians are renowned for using only the best ingredients to create their recipes," says food historian Francine Segan. The same could be said about their chocolates which rely on the finest regional ingredients. "Italy was one of the first countries to get cocoa beans from the New World and has been creating fine chocolate for centuries," says Segan. "The Italians were also the first to create the sublime combination of hazelnut and chocolate into gianduia, which led to so many of our favorites like Ferrero-Rocher and Perugina Baci," she adds. To assuage any guilt associated with this sweet indulgence, bear in mind that fine chocolates may be healthy, too, says Genny Nevoso, Executive Director of the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West (IACCW). She points to a Harvard University study reporting that people who eat chocolate at least three times a month, live at least a year longer than those who don't. Ready to meet the challenge? Forbes. com has curated a list of some of the best Italian chocolates that can be ordered online for Valentine's Day. They make perfect gifts