What do you say when a writer asks if you’d like an article about the amazing chocolate she’s experiencing while living in Sicily? You say “yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!” Indulge in Libby Margolis-Pineo’s delicious story. We certainly did.

Candied Orange Peel; Sicilian Lemon; Cacao Crumble; and Almond Bark, all in dark chocolate by ChoccOfficina.

A Bit of History about Chocolate and Sicily

In the 1500s, Spanish rule introduced Sicilians to cacao and clever methods for rolling it smooth. The resulting xocoàtl paste was used to accent meats, grated over vegetables, or nibbled on its own as an aphrodisiac. Now, that I can understand.

This sun-drenched sleepy corner of Sicily is our home for a month. When we’re not pinching ourselves, we walk the ancient streets at a leisurely pace. We live here and are not in a hurry. We have coffee, dawdle over books, and study Noto’s growing food scene.

A great place to start is one of our favorite haunts, Noto’s cheerful artisanal chocolateria and café, ChoccOfficina. Rosella and Sebastiano are native Sicilians and serious chocolatiers — plus, they are adorable and very hardworking. Whatever time of day we pop in, CioccOfficina enthusiasts are queuing up for espresso, cappuccino, pastries, cakes, chocolates and traditional Sicilian delights. Everything in sight is local, delectable and gorgeous. “All are made here,” says Rosella, “right here.” And it smells great, too — filled with the delicious fragrance of melting chocolate. CioccOfficina e delizioso!

The owners of ChoccOfficina. Rosella and Sebastiano.

Here in Sicily, morning cappuccino is always served with little bite of chocolate nearby. In Avola, we are served these lovely valentines of chocolate with our caffé — ooh.

Chocolate for breakfast? Yes!

As an epicurious traveler, I’ve been drawn to Sicily for its romantic history, rumbly volcano, flinty wines and robust cuisine. Yet somehow, the wild isle’s chocolate has remained one of its best-kept secrets for me. Intrigued, I embark on my own chocolate tour — one deep, dark taste at a time.

I begin close to home here in Noto at Caffé Costanzo, a popular spot for coffee, cookies, pastry, or gelato, the best in town. My favorite Costanzo pairing is cioccolata and nocciolo or hazelnut. The flavors are soulmates and perfect for sharing — or not. Don’t miss the powerful taste of Costanzo’s dark-chocolate arancia, dense and robust chocolate with bittersweet orange — wow!

Caffé Costanzo’s gelato duo in cioccolata and nocciolo or hazelnut.

City of Chocolate

We follow the fragrance of chocolate to Modica, an hour’s drive through the Sicilian countryside. Here, generations still use rolling pins of lava stone — from Mt. Etna, of course — to refine and smooth the chocolate. The mix is chilled before adding sugar to keep the crystals from melting, producing chocolate with a signature crunch.

In Modica we find the Museum of Chocolate plus several charming chocolate cafés and boutiques. And as one of eight Sicilian Baroque towns in the beautiful Val di Noto, Modica has enough cathedrals, piazzas and cobblestone streets for non-chocoholics.

Marilyn Monroe in chocolate at the Museum of Chocolate.

Upon admission, the Museo offers each visitor a whole cocoa bean, dusty with cacao and maybe a little grubby. But surprise! the dry, deep proto-chocolate flavor is delicious.

While chewing your introductory bean, there are several sculptures in chocolate to see. Some are impressive; some are deconstructing — a risk with organics.

There is a billboard-sized Marilyn Monroe, and a room-size chocolate relief map of Italy with helpful landmarks like the Coliseum and Leaning Tower of Pisa. Yes, much of it is pretty silly. But it’s fun and takes a mere 30 minutes for a reasonable fee of about €2.

Shop Chocolate

The first shop we visit is the Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, Modica’s earliest chocolatier. When Europe began to favor milk chocolate in the 1800s, the Bonajuto family continued making their signature dark chocolate and are still going strong.

Chocolate in pans, photo courtesy of Antica Dolceria Bonajuto

We amble down Corso Umberto to Antica Dolceria Rizza, open since in 1930s. Their chocolates are flavored with exotic essences like fiery peperoncino, below, or citrus. We buy some for friends at home. Me, I doubt they’ll last that long.

The venerable Caffe del’ Arte is famous for hot chocolate and classic Sicilian pastries like our favorite the venerable cannolo — with local pistachios, of course.

Modica is as serious as Uncle Stevie about its beloved chocolate. Heck, when this part of Sicily was destroyed by the earthquake of 1693, the chocolate industry survived — a genuine chocolate miracle.

Celebrate Chocolate!

An annual festival called ChocoModica celebrates my two Sicilian loves: chocolate and Baroque architecture. Both are entirely yummy.

— Story and photos (unless noted), by Libby Margolis-Pineo

Cacao beans at the Museum of Chocolate.

Here’s a delicious recipe for a Sicilian chocolate cake, courtesy of one of Libby’s friends in Italy… 

Hungry for more? 

Check out some of Libby’s other articles.

Or, maybe you’d like to journey to other articles about Italy on RealFoodTraveler.com.

And when you can’t get enough chocolate, there are always these articles.