Italian/Mediterranean Chocolatier Competition 2018 – Grand Jury Finalists

The International Chocolate Awards is pleased to announce the Grand Jury Finalists of the Italian/Mediterranean Chocolatier Competition which was judged in Florence, Italy from 23 – 26 February 2018.

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

The Grand Jury Finalists are the entries that made it through to the final Grand Jury round, following an initial technical Selection round and two days of Main round judging. The Finalists are the nominations from which the Grand Jury select the prize winners, through private voting. The Grand Jury follow strict rules, which you can read here (PDF).

While listing as a Grand Jury Finalist is an achievement in itself, it does not necessarily indicate that the entry received a prize.

The 2018 Italian/Mediterranean Chocolatier Finalists are:

(In alphabetical order within each category)


Plain/origin bars

Rough ground/textured plain/origin dark chocolate bars

Gardini (Italy) - "Rustico"

Flavoured bars

Dark chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring

T'a Milano (Italy) - Tavoletta al limone

Dark chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces

Gardini (Italy) - "Speziali" , fondente con caffè e cardamomo
Gardini (Italy) - "Speziali": fondente con tè verde Sakura
Bodrato Cioccolato (Italy) - Dark chocolate with coffee and star anice
Bodrato Cioccolato (Italy) - Dark chocolate with pink pepper and cocoa beans

Dark chocolate bars with a filling

Gardini (Italy) - "Insolito" , Gianduia Salata
Piccola Pasticceria (Italy) - Chinotto di Savona
Piccola Pasticceria (Italy) - Caramello e Sale di Mothya

Milk chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces

Gardini (Italy) - Cacao e Sale: latte sale e liquerizia
Gardini (Italy) - Cacao e Sale: latte con sale e olio EVO

White chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring

T'a Milano (Italy) - Tavoletta zafferano e cioccolato bianco
T'a Milano (Italy) - Tavoletta cioccolato bianco al Caramello e Sale delle Hawaii

White chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces

Bruno Chocolate (Israel) - Tiras bar
Bodrato Cioccolato (Italy) - White chocolate bar with cranberry and cinnamon
Bodrato Cioccolato (Italy) - White Chocolate Bar With Strawberry, Vanilla and Lemon

Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles

Unflavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles

Ika Chocolate (Israel) - Dark ganache
Pietro Macellaro Pasticceria Agricola Cilentana (Italy) - Piura Buffalo Cream
Pietro Macellaro Pasticceria Agricola Cilentana (Italy) - Vietnam Buffalo Cream

Flavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles

Torta Pistocchi Firenze (Italy) - Torta Martinica Dream
Torta Pistocchi Firenze (Italy) - Alchermes Fiorentino
Ika Chocolate (Israel) - Rum and Marzipan
Ika Chocolate (Israel) - Basil ganache
Ika Chocolate (Israel) - Grapefruit Ganache
Ika Chocolate (Israel) - Coffee and Cardamon Ganache
Ika Chocolate (Israel) - Earl grey tea ganache
Ronen Aflalo (Israel) - A Middle East and Caribbean Date
Fanucchi Daniel (Italy) - Vietnouth
Piccola Pasticceria (Italy) - Bonet
Slitti (Italy) - Pralina Irish Coffee
Slitti (Italy) - Pralina Lampone

Flavoured milk chocolate ganaches or truffles

Pietro Macellaro Pasticceria Agricola Cilentana (Italy) - Salty Madagascar
Giuseppe Manilia (Italy) - Profumo di passione

Flavoured white chocolate ganaches or truffles

Torta Pistocchi Firenze (Italy) - Torta di cioccolato bianco e Albicocche al Cognac
Torta Pistocchi Firenze (Italy) - Elisa's Cake
Bruno Chocolate (Israel) - Strawberry cheesecake
Piccola Pasticceria (Italy) - Biancomangiare

Flavoured ganaches or truffles with combination coating or filling

Paola Francesca Bertani (Italy) - Aleatica
Chiarascuro (Italy) - Giò latte
Ika Chocolate (Israel) - Zaatar
Pietro Macellaro Pasticceria Agricola Cilentana (Italy) - Pistacchio Bronte
Ronen Aflalo (Israel) - Middle East Praline
Slitti (Italy) - Pralina Cappuccino

Nuts

Nut based pralines with dark chocolate

Guido Castagna (Italy) - Cremino Menta liquirizia
Guido Castagna (Italy) - Cremino Cannella Calendula
Guido Castagna (Italy) - Cremino Cardamomo Malva
Guido Castagna (Italy) - Cremino Pistacchio
Falicetto Cioccolato Puro Piacenza (Italy) - Tartufo Falicetto

Dark chocolate gianduiotto / cremino

Guido Castagna (Italy) - Giuinott
Bardini (Italy) - Cremino Bardini
Bardini (Italy) - Gianduiotto Bardini

Flavoured dark chocolate cremino

Gardini (Italy) - Cremino Bigusto con Liquerizia
Gardini (Italy) - Cremino Bigusto con Amarene
Gardini (Italy) - Cremino Bigusto con Uvetta di Corinto
Gardini (Italy) - Cremino Bigusto con Noci
Bodrato Cioccolato (Italy) - cremino with salt maldon flakes
Andrea Bianchini Chocolate Luxory Collection (Italy) - 2018

Dark chocolate enrobed marzipan

Pietro Macellaro Pasticceria Agricola Cilentana (Italy) - Piura Violetta
Pietro Macellaro Pasticceria Agricola Cilentana (Italy) - Wild oregano and lemon of Sorrento
Sensaciones de Chocolate (Spain) - Azahar

Nut based pralines with milk chocolate

Giraudi (Italy) - Pralina Pistacchio

Milk chocolate gianduiotto or cremino

Piccola Pasticceria (Italy) - Piccolo Gianduja
Giraudi (Italy) - Gianduiotto Classico
Davide appendino Bean[TO]Ciok (Italy) - Gianduiotto

Unflavoured milk chocolate cremino

Varvaro (Italy) - Cremino a Tre Strati
Piccola Pasticceria (Italy) - Cremino Tre Colori

Milk chocolate enrobed marzipan

Piccola Pasticceria (Italy) - Zuppa Inglese

Milk chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts

Slitti (Italy) - Mandorle d'Avola

Nut based pralines with white chocolate

Bardini (Italy) - Tartufo Bardini
Tartuflanghe (Italy) - White praline with hazelnuts
Tartuflanghe (Italy) - Pistacchio Praline

White chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts

Torta Pistocchi Firenze (Italy) - Drageès di Pistacchio Siciliano, cioccolato bianco, polvere di arancia e sale marino

Caramels

Milk chocolate enrobed caramels

Pietro Macellaro Pasticceria Agricola Cilentana (Italy) - Salty Buffalo Caramel
Andrea Bianchini Chocolate Luxory Collection (Italy) - Saladin

Others - fruit/sugar/butter/cream/misc

Dark chocolate enrobed fruit pastes, jellies/gelée

Cioccolato Mezzasoma (Italy) - Amore liquido

Dark chocolate enrobed whole fruit

Falicetto Cioccolato Puro Piacenza (Italy) - Sgranfgnòn - Boero - Graffione
Pietro Macellaro Pasticceria Agricola Cilentana (Italy) - Boero
Pelagagge Riccardo (Italy) - Clementina candita con honeybush e mango
Slitti (Italy) - GInger
Cioccolato Orsini (Italy) - Liquorice Grappa Dark

Milk chocolate enrobed fruit pastes, jellies/gelée

Bruno Chocolate (Israel) - Sesame and Pear

Milk chocolate enrobed whole fruit

Torta Pistocchi Firenze (Italy) - Uvetta cioccolato al latte e mandorla
Slitti (Italy) - Black Cherry
Slitti (Italy) - Alkekengi

White chocolate enrobed manon/butter/cream

T'a Milano (Italy) - Dragees caramello e sale rivestito di cioccolato biondo

Spreads

Spreads with dark chocolate (no milk powder)

Maison della Nocciola (Italy) - Fondente Crema di Nocciole e Cacao
Guido Castagna (Italy) - +55
La Botteghina del Cioccolato (Italy) - La nocciolosa
Oberhöller (Italy) - Crema di nocciole e cacao privo di lattosio

Spreads with milk chocolate

Maison della Nocciola (Italy) - Crema Gianduja
Piccola Pasticceria (Italy) - Buongiorno allo Zabaione
Piccola Pasticceria (Italy) - Buongiorno alla Nocciola
Slitti (Italy) - Crema da Spalmare Riccosa
Giraudi (Italy) - Giacometta Pistacchio