Italian/Mediterranean Craft Chocolatier Competition – Winners 2021-22

The International Chocolate Awards is pleased to announce the Winners of the Italian/Mediterranean Craft Chocolatier Competition, which was judged during autumn 2021. This competition was open to all companies with their main business or head office in the countries listed: Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and all Middle East and North African companies.

The combined Italian National and Mediterranean regional chocolate competition brings together cultures and chocolate companies sharing the influence and ingredients of the Mediterranean sea. Winners will pass through to the World Final in April-May 2022.

This regional competition awards prizes for craft chocolatier products including filled chocolates/bonbons, pralines, enrobed fruits and nuts and chocolate spreads made with chocolate couverture OR bean-to-bar chocolate as well as  flavoured bars made with couverture. Plain/origin and flavoured bean-to-bar products from all European, Middle Eastern and African chocolate makers will be judged at the 2021-22 European Bean-to-bar Chocolate Maker competition.

For the 2021-22 season, we’re relaunching our filled chocolate competitions as “Craft Chocolatier Competitions”, with an increasing focus on cacao sourcing and traceability. With these ideals in mind, we have made the decision that, starting with the 2021-22 season, all our chocolatier competitions will now be solely dedicated to dark and milk chocolate products made with cacao with an identifiable and traceable source. (Note: this rule does not currently apply to white chocolate or cocoa butter). This new approach reflects not only current trends in craft chocolate, but also our own founding philosophy and focus on fine cacao.

The International Chocolate Awards is an independent competition recognising excellence in fine chocolate making and in the products made with fine chocolate.

Judges

The judges were drawn from local experts, food journalists and pastry chefs and members of our permanent international Grand Jury and guest judges.

Links

Prizes

The categories judged included flavoured chocolate bars, filled chocolates, enrobed fruits and nuts and chocolate spreads, as well as flavoured bars (not bean-to-bar) and are based on yearly feedback from our entrants and in consultation with the fine chocolate industry. All judging is anonymised, including at the Grand Jury final session, where Golds, Silver and Bronze prizes are awarded by private voting according to the Grand Jury rules.

** Bean-to-bar chocolatier products – recognising the growing trend of flavoured bars and filled chocolate made by chocolate makers, winning products made with an entrant’s own chocolate are marked with (**).

Awards are awarded only to entries that meet the required standard for each prize.

(Prizes are shown in alphabetical order for each medal)

Flavoured bars

Dark chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces

Bronze: Gardini  (Italy) - "Rustico"

Dark chocolate bars with a filling

Bronze: Gardini  (Italy) - "Insolito" Gianduia Salata

Milk chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring

Silver: Kaitxo  (Spain) - Etxeko Masala

Bronze: Gardini  (Italy) - Cacao & Sale Dolce, con liquerizia

Milk chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces

Gold: Joan Baixas  (Spain) - Chocolate con leche 51% con kikos

+ Special: Gastronomic

Silver: Kaitxo  (Spain) - Txokolate con leche con regaliz y violet

White chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring

Gold: T'a Milano  (Italy) - Tavoletta Bianco Caramello e Liquirizia

Bronze: T'a Milano  (Italy) - Tavoletta Caramello e Sale delle Hawaii

White chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces

Silver: Bruno Chocolate  (Israel) - Yuzu-Basilic


Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles

Unflavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles

Silver: Depetris Riccardo / Depetris...i Ciculaté  (Italy) - Alternative (**)

Silver: Pietro Macellaro Pasticceria Agricola Cilentana  (Italy) - Perù Buffalo Cream

+ Special: Local ingredients

Bronze: Casa Cacao | El Celler de Can Roca  (Spain) - Piura's 66% Chocolate Bonbon (**)

Flavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles

Gold: Giuseppe Manilia  (Italy) - Rosemary lavanda e fondente

Silver: Bellantoni Cioccolato  (Italy) - Dragée Rum e Uvetta

Silver: Casa Cacao | El Celler de Can Roca  (Spain) - Girona Apple and Thyme bonbon (**)

+ Special: Local ingredients

Silver: Casa Cacao | El Celler de Can Roca  (Spain) - The Great Chocolate (**)

Silver: Casa Cacao | El Celler de Can Roca  (Spain) - The Macallan DoubleCask 12 Yrs Bonbon (**)

Silver: Joan Baixas  (Spain) - Bombón ganache Origen Piura con mucílago (**)

Bronze: Depetris Riccardo / Depetris...i Ciculaté  (Italy) - Xela (**)

Flavoured white chocolate ganaches or truffles

Gold: Ronen Aflalo  (Israel) - The yuzu bonbon

Bronze: Monia Achille  (Italy) - Marrakech

Flavoured ganaches or truffles with combination coating or filling

Gold: Stefania Massera - Pasticceria Gino Massera  (Italy) - Polenta e lacc (Polenta e latte)

+ Special: Gastronomic

Silver: JackRabbit Chocolate Studio  (South Africa) - Spicey Blonde & Clemengold

Silver: Stefania Massera - Pasticceria Gino Massera  (Italy) - Al Malinteisa (Il Malinteso)

+ Special: Local ingredients


Nuts

Nut based pralines with dark chocolate

Gold: Guido Castagna  (Italy) - Pralina Menta Liquirizia

+ Special: Local ingredients

Silver: Giuseppe Manilia  (Italy) - Croccantino alla nocciola

Silver: Guido Castagna  (Italy) - Giuinott

+ Gold: Gianduiotto

Silver: Guido Castagna  (Italy) - Pralina Calendula Cannella

Silver: Guido Castagna  (Italy) - Pralina Malva Cardamomo

Silver: Guido Castagna  (Italy) - Pralina Pistacchio

Silver: Monia Achille  (Italy) - Mmmiele

+ Special: Local ingredients

Bronze: Fiore 1827  (Italy) - Pralina Cassata Fiorenza

Dark chocolate enrobed marzipan

Gold: Pietro Macellaro Pasticceria Agricola Cilentana  (Italy) - Origano Selvatico di Montagna e Limone

+ Special: Local ingredients

Silver: Pietro Macellaro Pasticceria Agricola Cilentana  (Italy) - Violetta Selvatica

+ Special: Local ingredients

Dark chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts

Gold: Piccola Pasticceria  (Italy) - Nocciola Piemonte Bassinata al Gianduia

+ Special: Local ingredients

Nut based pralines with milk chocolate

Gold: Ronen Aflalo  (Israel) - Tehini bonbon

+ Special: Gastronomic

Silver: Bellantoni Cioccolato  (Italy) - Cremino Nocciola e Caffè

Nut based pralines with combination chocolate

Gold: Gardini  (Italy) - Cremino con liquirizia

Silver: Depetris Riccardo / Depetris...i Ciculaté  (Italy) - Mucillago (**)

Silver: Depetris Riccardo / Depetris...i Ciculaté  (Italy) - Persi pien (**)

+ Special: Local ingredients

Silver: Gardini  (Italy) - Cremino con Amarene

Silver: Gardini  (Italy) - Cremino con Noci

+ Special: Local ingredients

Silver: Piccola Pasticceria  (Italy) - Cremino tre colori

Silver: Piccola Pasticceria  (Italy) - Piccolo gianduja

Silver: Stefania Massera - Pasticceria Gino Massera  (Italy) - Ninsòla dla Bessa (Nocciola della Bessa)

Silver: Varvaro  (Italy) - Cremino al Pistacchio e Nocciole

Bronze: Falicetto Cioccolato Puro Piacenza  (Italy) - DiPC

+ Special: Gastronomic

+ Special: Local ingredients

Nut based pralines with white chocolate

Silver: Caon Chocolate  (Italy) - Matcha Love

Silver: Gardini  (Italy) - Cremino al Pistacchio

White chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts

Gold: Bellantoni Cioccolato  (Italy) - Dragèe Pinolo alla Camomilla

Silver: Bellantoni Cioccolato  (Italy) - Dragée Pistacchio al Cardamomo

Bronze: Casa Cacao | El Celler de Can Roca  (Spain) - Pistachio with Green Peas Chocolate (**)

+ Special: Gastronomic


Others - fruit/sugar/butter/cream/misc

Dark chocolate enrobed fruit pastes, jellies/gelée

Bronze: JackRabbit Chocolate Studio  (South Africa) - Cape Gooseberry & Strawberry

Dark chocolate enrobed whole fruit

Gold: Falicetto Cioccolato Puro Piacenza  (Italy) - Sgranfgnòn - Boero

+ Special: Classic

+ Special: Local ingredients

Silver: Maychoco  (Spain) - Mango bañado en `bean to bar´70% Perú (**)

+ Special: Local ingredients

Silver: Pietro Macellaro Pasticceria Agricola Cilentana  (Italy) - Ciliegia al Cognac

Bronze: Fattoria La Vialla di Gianni, Antonio e Bandino Lo Franco  (Italy) - Scorza di arancia candita al cioccolato

White chocolate enrobed fruit pastes, jellies/gelée

Gold: Piccola Pasticceria  (Italy) - Prugna Menta e Sedano

Milk chocolate enrobed whole fruit

Bronze: Le Cacaoyer  (Greece) - Vostizza currants (**)

White chocolate enrobed whole fruit

Bronze: Maychoco  (Spain) - Mango con chocolate blanco 39% y lavanda (**)

+ Special: Local ingredients

Other fillings with dark chocolate

Silver: Stefania Massera - Pasticceria Gino Massera  (Italy) - Torta dla nòna (Torta della nonna)

+ Special: Reinterpretation


Spreads

Spreads with dark chocolate (no milk powder)

Gold: Guido Castagna  (Italy) - +55 crema nocciola

Silver: Fiore 1827  (Italy) - Fiore di nocciola

Silver: Il Cocciolato  (Italy) - Ooh mamma tre (**)

Bronze: Puchero  (Spain) - Puchero Hazelnut Chocolate Spread (**)

Spreads with milk chocolate

Gold: Monia Achille  (Italy) - Me

+ Special: Local ingredients

Silver: Depetris Riccardo / Depetris...i Ciculaté  (Italy) - Amelina classica alla nocciola

+ Special: Local ingredients

Silver: Gardini  (Italy) - Mia, Naturalmente EVO

+ Special: Local ingredients


(*)  Declared chocolate maker for private label bars. (**) Winner has declared the product is made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate or couverture.