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 limoneDark chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces
Gardini (Italy) - "Speziali" , fondente con caffè e cardamomoGardini (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 SalataPiccola 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 liqueriziaGardini (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 biancoT'a Milano (Italy) - Tavoletta cioccolato bianco al Caramello e Sale delle Hawaii
White chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces
Bruno Chocolate (Israel) - Tiras barBodrato 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 ganachePietro 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 DreamTorta 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 MadagascarGiuseppe Manilia (Italy) - Profumo di passione
Flavoured white chocolate ganaches or truffles
Torta Pistocchi Firenze (Italy) - Torta di cioccolato bianco e Albicocche al CognacTorta 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) - AleaticaChiarascuro (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 liquiriziaGuido 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) - GiuinottBardini (Italy) - Cremino Bardini
Bardini (Italy) - Gianduiotto Bardini
Flavoured dark chocolate cremino
Gardini (Italy) - Cremino Bigusto con LiqueriziaGardini (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 ViolettaPietro 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 PistacchioMilk chocolate gianduiotto or cremino
Piccola Pasticceria (Italy) - Piccolo GiandujaGiraudi (Italy) - Gianduiotto Classico
Davide appendino Bean[TO]Ciok (Italy) - Gianduiotto
Unflavoured milk chocolate cremino
Varvaro (Italy) - Cremino a Tre StratiPiccola Pasticceria (Italy) - Cremino Tre Colori
Milk chocolate enrobed marzipan
Piccola Pasticceria (Italy) - Zuppa IngleseMilk chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts
Slitti (Italy) - Mandorle d'AvolaNut based pralines with white chocolate
Bardini (Italy) - Tartufo BardiniTartuflanghe (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 marinoCaramels
Milk chocolate enrobed caramels
Pietro Macellaro Pasticceria Agricola Cilentana (Italy) - Salty Buffalo CaramelAndrea Bianchini Chocolate Luxory Collection (Italy) - Saladin
Others - fruit/sugar/butter/cream/misc
Dark chocolate enrobed fruit pastes, jellies/gelée
Cioccolato Mezzasoma (Italy) - Amore liquidoDark chocolate enrobed whole fruit
Falicetto Cioccolato Puro Piacenza (Italy) - Sgranfgnòn - Boero - GraffionePietro 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 PearMilk chocolate enrobed whole fruit
Torta Pistocchi Firenze (Italy) - Uvetta cioccolato al latte e mandorlaSlitti (Italy) - Black Cherry
Slitti (Italy) - Alkekengi
White chocolate enrobed manon/butter/cream
T'a Milano (Italy) - Dragees caramello e sale rivestito di cioccolato biondoSpreads
Spreads with dark chocolate (no milk powder)
Maison della Nocciola (Italy) - Fondente Crema di Nocciole e CacaoGuido 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 GiandujaPiccola Pasticceria (Italy) - Buongiorno allo Zabaione
Piccola Pasticceria (Italy) - Buongiorno alla Nocciola
Slitti (Italy) - Crema da Spalmare Riccosa
Giraudi (Italy) - Giacometta Pistacchio