What is gianduja, the chocolate-and-hazelnut confection associated with Turin?

Gianduja is a chocolate-hazelnut paste associated with Turin, Italy.

The confection developed in Piedmont during the nineteenth century, when local hazelnuts were blended with cocoa. Hazelnuts were abundant in the region and helped extend chocolate during periods when cocoa was expensive or difficult to obtain.

Gianduja is generally smooth and spreadable, although the term can also describe molded chocolates and other sweets made from the same style of mixture. Its flavor is richer and nuttier than ordinary plain chocolate because finely ground hazelnuts form a substantial part of the recipe.

Gianduja should not be confused with every chocolate spread. Modern commercial hazelnut spreads may be inspired by it, but gianduja traditionally refers to a specific chocolate-and-hazelnut confectionery style rooted in Piedmontese food history.