Since last year, Italian artisans have been fighting for the protection of a distinctive chocolate produced in the city of Modica, in the Sicily region. The three-month period in which European Union member states could oppose the Commission's decision expired this Tuesday (7), with no objections raised.
Therefore, the Commission must proceed with the registration of “Modica Chocolate” for protected geographical indication (PGI), a law of the European bloc to protect the quality of regional foods and promote agricultural activities.
The request was sent in June 2017, and the designation for protection should come into force by next autumn.
The nomination certifies the authenticity of unique products from an area. “This product is a treasure for our region and must be protected from imitations at any cost,” said Italian politician Antonino Minardo. Modica chocolate is produced according to an original Aztec technique, and is close to the first chocolate ever consumed by the people who inhabited the Americas.
The recipe arrived in Sicily by Spanish explorers, who brought exotic foods from their missions to conquer the New World. And as the Italian region was governed by Spain at that time, the chocolate ended up staying there.
The technique involves grinding the cocoa beans and heating them to obtain a fluid mass. Add sugar and desired spices for flavor. The dough is maintained at temperatures that do not exceed 40ºC, much lower than those used in the industrial process.
Therefore, artisans believe that this manual process is what preserves the beneficial characteristics of cocoa and gives chocolate an incomparable flavor and texture.
Producers are still waiting for the sweet to officially acquire PGI status. If recognized, Italy will have the first protected chocolate in Europe.
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