I am a craftsman, one of those who transforms everything that passes through his hands.
The Craftsman
I’ve been a craftsman since I was a child, in the family bakery, I tasted a peach jam of a famous italian company. It was strange. Far from the fresh peach flavour I had ever eaten.
Then I wrote a letter. They replied that, for reasons related to the automation of the process, they used not fully ripe fruit. I was not sure. This thing stayed with me like a woodworm for years.
Time passed by, I graduated in agriculture and I became a winemaker. Thousands of kilometers away from Lake Como, I felt uncomfortable. So, I came back home to join my agronomic knowledge to the family’s one. I no longer needed a vineyard but a laboratory.
And so, my research went toward something akin to wine: origin, terroir, fermentation, acidity, sugars, tannins and oxidation. The chocolate. Raw material: cacao. An agriculture raw material. So, I decided to work for subtraction. I removed lecithin, vanilla and spices.I decided to make a squeeze juice of cocoa beans and cane sugar. Nothing else.
And why not to try to do the same thing with any kind of fruit? From apricot to bluebarry, from orange to pistachio, till the never forgotten peaches. Jams, spreads, juices and marmelade. In a different way. Fully ripe fruit, from trusted farmers and knowledge of agricultural vocations.
I tried to call into question the traditional standardized methods of production. I removed the unnecessary and I tried to come as close as possible to the origin. A preserved origin that must be preserved!
The Craftsman
I’ve been a craftsman since I was a child, in the family bakery, I tasted a peach jam of a famous italian company. It was strange. Far from the fresh peach flavour I had ever eaten.
Then I wrote a letter. They replied that, for reasons related to the automation of the process, they used not fully ripe fruit. I was not sure. This thing stayed with me like a woodworm for years.
Time passed by, I graduated in agriculture and I became a winemaker. Thousands of kilometers away from Lake Como, I felt uncomfortable. So, I came back home to join my agronomic knowledge to the family’s one. I no longer needed a vineyard but a laboratory.
And so, my research went toward something akin to wine: origin, terroir, fermentation, acidity, sugars, tannins and oxidation. The chocolate. Raw material: cacao. An agriculture raw material. So, I decided to work for subtraction. I removed lecithin, vanilla and spices.I decided to make a squeeze juice of cocoa beans and cane sugar. Nothing else.
And why not to try to do the same thing with any kind of fruit? From apricot to bluebarry, from orange to pistachio, till the never forgotten peaches. Jams, spreads, juices and marmelade. In a different way. Fully ripe fruit, from trusted farmers and knowledge of agricultural vocations.
I tried to call into question the traditional standardized methods of production. I removed the unnecessary and I tried to come as close as possible to the origin. A preserved origin that must be preserved!
Thus, I realized my dream. I created my own, designed for transformation.
A Craftsman's Lab!
Get Marco's letter
Discover the stories behind each creation. I will share with you the passion I put into each stage of my work, from the selection of raw materials to the final transformation. Be inspired by the stories that tell my connection to nature and the land.
Marco answers
Why has a white coating or whitish spots formed on the surface of the chocolate?
The white coating appears when the product has been stored in a cold, humid environment (like a refrigerator); condensation that forms between the wrapper and the chocolate creates a white coating. Whitish spots, on the other hand, appear when the product experiences temperature fluctuations. Often, when chocolate is kept in warm areas or near heat sources, the cocoa butter naturally present in chocolate melts and rises to the surface (technically going out of temper). The product is still safe to eat, but the texture of the chocolate bar may change.
Why do nectar beverages have added sugars?
Some fruits are too thick to be processed at 100%, like mango, peach, apricot, etc. If they were made into 100% juice, they would be so dense that they would struggle to pour out of the bottle. Once the fruit is blended, a little water needs to be added to make it drinkable and to balance the natural sugar level of the original fruit. Fruits that can be juiced, pressed, or filtered, on the other hand, are drinkable even when processed at 100% (e.g., orange, pomegranate, carrot, apple, etc.).
Why do creams have a thin layer of oil on the surface, and what should I do about it?
Why are some jams more liquid than others?
Our jams have a very high fruit content, ranging from 100% to 130% fruit per 100 grams of product, with little added sugar. Sugar helps give structure to the product, so if the fruit is naturally low in pectin, either natural pectin from lemon peel is added, or the jam, although very concentrated, will have a softer consistency.
What is the difference between Aztec chocolate and hot chocolate mix?
Aztec chocolate is our 80% chocolate (ingredients: 80% cocoa beans and sugar) that is finely chopped so it can be dissolved in hot milk or water. The resulting chocolate is in the Anglo-Saxon style, meaning it's not thick but very aromatic and intense. Hot chocolate mix, on the other hand, is made with cocoa powder (ingredients: cocoa powder, sugar, and starch). This mix is specifically formulated for making hot chocolate in a cup, resulting in a dense, comforting chocolate in the classic Italian style.
Why do juices or nectars from the same fruit have different colors and consistencies?
Italy is a large orchard, and we work with fruit from growers who often have different varieties of the same fruit, or we collaborate with different farmers who cultivate the same fruit but in different regions of Italy. For example, a peach from Piedmont is different from one from Sicily. The colors, flavor, aroma, and texture of a fruit are determined by a combination of factors, including climate and terroir.
What is cocoa mass?
Cocoa mass, or cocoa paste, refers to the product that is 100% made from cocoa beans transformed into a solid form, without the addition of sugars or other ingredients.
Politica dei resi
Reso a spese del cliente, il rimborso viene effettuato solo, e solo se, il prodotto arriva integro. Quindi una volta appurata l'integrità del prodotto a destino.