The spookiest holiday of the year is on its way! If you’re planning to celebrate this year (socially distanced, of course), we’ve got a few ideas to add a touch of Italian style (and sweetness) to the holiday – even if Halloween isn’t technically an Italian tradition. But we do have some of the best chocolates and ‘caramelle’ (candies) in the world, so why not give them a try this go-round? Time to think outside the box!
For the widest candy selection, we suggest stopping at Economy Candy – a candy store on NYC’s Lower East Side, that almost seems like a Willy Wonka wonderland (or museum). Jerry and Mitchell Cohen – the second and third-generation owners of Economy Candy – tell us that they have “2,000 different items to choose from,” providing “every candy and chocolate from your generation, your parents’ generation and even your grandparents’ generation!” The story behind this legendary candy store is quite interesting, as well. At one time, it was a shoe and hat repair shop, with a single pushcart outside where candy was sold. When the Great Depression hit in the 1930s, though, the candy cart started bringing in more business than the shoe store – leading to the shop’s 1937 transformation into Economy Candy! “When my grandfather Morris “Moishe” Cohen and his brother-in-law returned from World War II, they took over the business and expanded into selling candy, chocolate, gift baskets, dried fruit, nuts and more,” explains Mitchell.
At Economy Candy, you can even find the most iconic of Italian ‘caramelle’ – the Rossana Perugina (also simply called ‘rossa’ in Italian), a sort of hard candy made with hazelnuts, almonds, and apricot. Rossana is firm on the outside and creamy on the inside, and it comes wrapped in transparent ruby-red packaging. Economy Candy also carries traditional Italian staples such as Baci Perugina, soft and hard torroncini, licorice candy, and even the fragrant Leone pastiglie in different flavors just to name a few (for pick-up and online sales only).
Venchi, an Italian chocolate superstar, maintains a flagship store on Broadway – just two blocks north of Union Square in New York City. Here, they recommend the “pick-and-mix” method and they have a special motto: “Scary, but sweet… Even ghosts can’t resist!” Simply select a bag and fill it with your choice of any chocolate on offer in the store. Michele Sbarigia, the store’s General Manager, shares some advice for the best selection. “Halloween is a celebration for all ages. If you’re shopping for the kids, we recommend ‘le monetine’ (gold coins), because the glittering gold wrappers are fun for children, or the ‘giandujotti,’ which simply melt in your mouth. The ‘tartufino’ is shaped like the usual candy and the wrappers are fun to play with. And the ‘cremino’ classico is a must for sure. It has layers of gianduja, almond paste, and white chocolate, and it’s very creamy. I also want to point out that our chocolate is a healthy choice for kids because it has no palm oil and only natural ingredients.”
For the adults, however, we suggest indulging in the ‘Cubotto Chocoviar Dark Chocolate Pistachio.’ This is a truly rewarding selection (thanks in part to its generous size) for the gianduja-lovers, or if you love pistachio and filled chocolates with toppings. In the heart of the ‘Chocaviar,’ the crispy nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios) meet the softness of a creamy hazelnut-gianduja filling with pistachio cream covered in milk chocolate. Then they’re decorated with toffee grains and caramel butter.
But if you’re not planning on going trick-or-treating this year because of COVID, you can still make Halloween a little bit sweeter! Di Palo, the Italian cheese and gourmet store on Grand Street in New York City, can help you celebrate Halloween at home with a delicacy exclusive to his gourmet store – a jumbo-sized cremino by Venchi. Just imagine serving what looks like an ordinary bread loaf, but instead, it’s actually made of chocolate and hazelnuts! For a more “adult” flavor, we suggest the dark chocolate variety.
And finally, for the most traditional of Halloween-lovers, you can find chocolate witches and pumpkin-shaped lanterns at any Eataly store in the United States. These items are produced by EMVI Chocolate, a family-owned business located in Upstate New York. Each item is handcrafted by chocolate artisans from deliciously genuine chocolate and natural ingredients.
NYC gourmet stores Agata & Valentina also offer a wide variety of signature Halloween-themed treats – from chocolate black cats, ghosts, and bats to spooky cupcakes!