SWEET RARITIES
Our List of the Most Unique Candies from Italy
Trick or Treat...Dolcetto o sherzetto?!
By Truby Chiaviello
For travelers wandering Italy’s cobblestone streets, there’s a certain kind of magic that happens when you step into a small pasticceria or corner tabacchi and find rows of candies you’ve never seen before—each wrapped like a tiny jewel, each carrying a whisper of history and place.
Italy’s candy culture is as diverse and regional as its cuisine. While the world knows Ferrero Rocher, Tic Tac, and Kinder Bueno, those are merely the global ambassadors of a much deeper tradition. Across Italy, artisans still handcraft sweets in small batches, using recipes that blend old-world techniques with local flavors—rum, espresso, violet, anise, and even the zest of cedro, the Mediterranean citron.
What makes these confections special isn’t just taste—it’s texture, ritual, and authenticity. Italians don’t eat candy for a sugar rush; they savor it like an espresso or a glass of wine. A candy isn’t just a treat—it’s a moment, a memory, a conversation starter.
In this spirit, PRIMO explores a selection of unique Italian candies that rarely make it to American shelves—sweets you might discover only while traveling in Italy or browsing a specialty importer’s website late at night, dreaming of Florence or Turin.
Below are seven such treasures—from coffee-filled chocolates and licorice pastilles to fruit jellies and violet lozenges—that capture the artistry and imagination of Italy’s lesser-known confectioners.
1. Pocket Coffee (Ferrero)
A small dark-chocolate shell filled with liquid espresso. Each piece contains an actual shot of strong Italian coffee encased in chocolate—meant to “drink” on the go. Import restrictions on liquid-filled chocolates and melting concerns limit distribution in the United States. Like sipping an espresso macchiato in candy form.
2. Saila Licorice Candies
From the Abruzzo region are intense black licorice pastilles, sometimes with mint or anise. Italians prize strong, herbal licorice for digestion after meals; Saila’s flavor is far bolder than American licorice. U.S. consumers prefer sweeter, milder versions—so Saila’s authentic bitterness makes it a connoisseur’s candy.
3. Leone Pastiglie (Turin)
Tiny, pastel-colored lozenges are made in Turin with natural essences—violet, rose, anise, or citron. The candy is sold in charming Art-Nouveau metal tins or paper boxes dating to 1857. In the United States, the lozenges are available mainly through gourmet shops; production is small-batch and ingredients are premium. More perfume than candy—sophisticated and nostalgic.
4. Cuneesi al Rhum
The meringue-like dark chocolates come filled with rum cream. They are made by hand by small chocolatiers, often using regional liqueurs, in Cuneo, Piedmont. Their rarity in the United States is due to the alcohol content of the candy.
5. Sperlari GranGelées
From Cremona, these soft fruit jellies made with real fruit purée—orange, apricot, cherry, and berry flavors. Unlike American “gummies,” these are smooth, melt-in-your-mouth pâte-de-fruit style. Imported versions are rare because they loses freshness quickly. Italians buy them fresh by weight in candy shops.
6. Baratti & Milano Cremini
Three-layered squares of chocolate and hazelnut cream from Turin. Based on the original cremino recipe from the 1800s; smoother than gianduiotto, less sugary than pralines. A boutique chocolate sold mainly in northern Italy.
7. Cedrinca Citrus Drops
Hard candies flavored with cedro (citron), blood orange, or limoncello. Old-style fruit essences rarely exported from their facility in the Lake Garda area. These candies carry the taste of Mediterranean gardens.
Editor's Note: The web sites for the aforementioned candies are:
1. https://www.ferrero.com/int/en/our-brands/all-brands
2. https://saila.it/sperlari-saila-galatine-historical-brands/
3. https://leone1857.com
4. https://arionepasticceria.it/en/
5. https://saila.it/caramelle-sperlari-gran-gelees-frutti-rossi/
6. https://www.barattiemilano.it
7. https://www.cedrinca.it
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