We’d heard about the place. Wisdom passed on, like most things, through word of mouth by those who have resided here forever; and located by @waze, endlessly navigating us from the most remote locales to the mazes of ancient city streets (is there any part of our planet remaining unmapped?). The chocolate shop is tucked under the arches of the town center, which sits on a hill surrounded by walls and thick stone buildings, Europe’s waring history ever-present in daily life. - Established in 1881, the shop’s shelves are made from ancient, dark wood and polished by generations of grandkids, the sheen reflected in the original wavy glass storefront windows. Cakes created from recipes as old as these hills reside next to chocolate tortes with Maldon salt, clouds of cream puffs, and tarts studded almost suggestively with protruding fruits. The bonbons and pralines shine against white marble counters mined hundreds of years ago, just a few hours away. Each chocolate is filled with tastes of Piemonte and Savona: nuts, citrus, and herbal pastes weigh on the tongue, flavors woven like a rich tapestry illustrating history, family, community (church), and life in the countryside. - We made the trip for the Baci di Cherasco (kisses from the town of Charasco), their famous red cellophane bags shining gaudily under the brass chandelier. Produced with pieces of Piedmonte’s ubiquitous hazelnut, roasted in a wood-fired oven and covered in dark chocolate, each pieces has an unusual shape and texture. Legend has it that when proprietor and chocolatier Marco Berbero had leftover, irregular pieces of hazelnut after he made torrone, he created these little gems. Piedmontese thriftiness proves irresistible. - #italy #chocolatefreak #chocolateshop #historybitebybite (at Barbero cioccolato) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTHw5IPt3Q1bxbrq8wLHjZrAuITc3vWyXlICmQ0/?utm_medium=tumblr