Dolceria Corallo

A dolceria with the sweetest history, Corallo has remained in the same family for over 50 years. Founded in Modica by Giorgio Corallo, the company joined a culinary marketplace showcasing the very best of Sicilian produce and artisan craftsmanship. Modica is a city with a reputation for sweet delights, on an island that's famous all over the world for its indulgent food and hedonistic approach to dining and drinking. Chocolate making has been a mainstay on Sicily for over 400 years, since the Spanish brought cacao back from their exploration into South America. Desserts and sweet snacks have flourished here even longer, since the Arab influence of the 9th century. Today, Giorgio's daughter Raffaela and his grandchildren are at the helm, making classic pastries like cannoli and mandorla (Italian macaroons), alongside indulgent chocolate bars and spreads.

Naples has pizza, Bologna has its famous ragù, and Sicily has cannoli. Perhaps no other dessert has such strong ties to a place than this. Cannoli can be dated back as far as 1000 AD to the Arab city of Caltanissetta. Its phallic shape was designed to exalt the masculinity of the rulers of the time (cheeky). In fact, lots of Sicilian pastries celebrate the beauty of the human form. Just think of Minni di Virgini (a ricotta-filled domeshaped cake covered in icing with a candied cherry on top), made to look like the breast of a Roman-era martyr. However, it's cannoli that have endured in international fame. Dolceria Corallo take this iconic pastry and make it their very own. Crisp, creamy and dotted with pistachios, chocolate and hazelnuts, each one is handcrafted to a traditional recipe, so they're as close to fresh from a dolceria on a cobbled Sicilian street as they can get. As much as they insist on preserving some of the culinary successes of history, Corallo has never stopped moving with the times. To bring their delicious treats into the 21st century, they've perfected sugarless recipes and brought novel flavours to timeless classics – like adding a touch of chilli to their Modica chocolate.

Sicilian chocolate has almost as long a tradition as cannoli. First brought to the island by the Spanish in the 17th century, today Corallo produces chocolate bars using artisanal techniques picked up from the Aztecs. Working the chocolate cold results in a trademark crumbly texture, which when paired with classic Sicilian flavours like orange or pistachio, makes for a treat you can't bear to share. Not only master chocolatiers, Corallo have also poured their imagination into creating spreads that can bring a taste of Sicily to homemade desserts – or even just a slice of toast. Never mind Nutella, Corallo's spreads are the real deal. They scour Italy for the finest hazelnuts for their classic nocciola spread and celebrate their very own Sicilian pistachios in the calm-seas-smooth crema di pistacchio. So whether it's a cannoli with your morning coffee or a bar of chocolate after dinner, you'll be tasting Corallo's age-old Sicilian passion for indulgence in every bite.