This spring, treat yourself to a chocolate tasting a lick away from the Duomo. In piazza dell’Olio, around the corner from the Baptistery, there’s a chocolate shop of myriad delights. Slitti, renowned for quality artisanal chocolate, started out as a coffee roastery in Monsummano Terme back in 1969. Passed down from grandfather to grandsons, Andrea and Daniele Slitti run the business today, continuing the research into coffee and expanding operations into chocolate and baked goods.
“In 1989, Andrea, who is entirely self-taught, took part in a French pastry contest for the first time—and he won,” the store manager explains, ensconced in one of the chic pastel-coloured chairs. The walls are lined with family photographs and some of the 200-plus awards that Slitti has received down the years, while the shelves are arranged with top-tier products—coffee, cookies, chocolate spreads, bars and dragees—that are distributed in 25 countries. At the city centre store, the sweet-toothed can indulge in everything Slitti, including decadent hot chocolate (milk, gianduia topped with Piedmontese Tonda Gentile Trilobata and white with the finest pistachios from Bronte in Sicily). “We serve our hot chocolate at 65 degrees Celsius to maintain the quality.” Although the pastries and cookies are tempting, a visit to Slitti simply has to include a selection of the pralines and chocolates that Andrea continues to make in his Monsummano Terme factory, where guided tours can be arranged. From the tangy passionfruit to the multi-award-winning Turkish coffee, every single bite is exquisitely balanced, the cleanliness of the dark chocolate cleansing the mouth and inviting the next morsel. Gluttons, be warned. The dragees are next-level addictive: almonds, black cherries, physalis, strawberries and more are coated in the finest dark chocolate.
Specialty coffee remains at the heart of Slitti’s operation. From 100% Arabica to the espresso cup steaming with Slitti Special that is set down in front of me, the freshly roasted beans can be ground on site. Hoppers containing beans from the likes of Kenya, Ethiopia and Brazil change regularly, allowing coffee lovers to try something new and the staff pair the blends with Slitti chocolates to bring out the best in both delicacies.
Clients can even share a photograph with the innovative coffee machine, which will craft a latte art version on top of a cappuccino before treating a loved one to a chocolate tasting experience.
