Napoleon. We often find his name when we talk about the history of these hills, but what on earth connects Napoleon to the delicious, crunchy and unique Piedmont hazelnuts PGI? Well, there is a strong connection and perhaps, without Napoleon's reprisals against England, delicacies such as gianduiotto, torta or nougat and cream spread would not exist today and we would probably be sadder. A blockade of imports of English products and their colonies, a shortage of cocoa that arrived on the markets at exorbitant prices forced Piedmontese confectioners to find an alternative product. They found it in the hazelnuts that were cultivated in the hilly area of lower Piedmont: in the rugged hills of the Langa. That little bit of cocoa was combined with hazelnut flour and the result was surprisingly popular. A clumsy spoonful into the resulting chocolate mixture and suddenly the trapezoid-shaped treat, or inverted boat, known to all as gianduiotto, made its debut. This marked the birth of sub-Alpine hazelnut delicacies, but also a new agricultural adventure that changed the landscape and the economies of rural families who, given the growing demand, dedicated themselves to the cultivation of the prized ""round and gentle hazelnut of the Langhe"".
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