Il Kiss Perugina is an established symbol of made in Italy in the world. Exported to 55 countries, over the decades it has become the chocolate representative of love, exchanged by couples from all over the world especially on the occasion of the Valentine's day. Not everyone is aware that one of the most enterprising, visionary and creative Italian women of the 900th century invented the Kiss. Luisa Sargentini better known as Luisa Spagnolilong before venturing into the textile industry, together with her husband Annibale she took over a grocery store located in the historic center of Perugia. There Spagnoli Grocery in which Luisa devoted herself to her passion for pastry making initially confetti, over time it acquired more and more value and importance. Luisa began to make her way in an entrepreneurial world that at the time was a male prerogative, attracting the attention of Francesco Buitoni, owner of the pasta factory of the same name, who later became her partner and friend. In 1907 with her husband Hannibal, Francesco Buitoni, Francesco Andreani e Leo Ascoli founded the Perugina, alongside sugared almonds with the production of candies and chocolates. In 1922, from the intuition of Luisa Spagnoli, in search of a method to recycle hazelnut processing waste, the Bacio initially called "Punch" for the shape that resembles a fist.
In the year of the anniversary of centenary of the Kiss, we at italiani.it have met the great-granddaughter of Luisa Spagnoli, of the same name, which in Perugia has opened a laboratory, the “Spagnoli Confiserie Du Chocolat Perugia” in which the family tradition of the art of chocolate making continues with love and passion.
Perhaps not everyone knows that Luisa Spagnoli, one of the great names in Italian fashion, created the most famous chocolate in the world: the Bacio Perugina. Her great-grandmother Luisa was one of the most visionary, enterprising, creative women of the 1900s. Symbol of the strength of mind and spirit of those times. How does it feel to bear her name?
I am proud of it, I am very proud that they gave me this name but at the same time it is a great responsibility because she was an extraordinary woman.
When did you start learning, and subsequently, what prompted you to take up the art of chocolate making?
In my family, chocolate is at home, so it was normal that at some point in my life, my father started teaching me how to make Spanish chocolates. We started in my kitchen with my children around asking to do their homework and he and I struggling with chocolates that carry the history of the Spagnoli family.
This year falls the centenary of the Kiss, exchanged by couples from all over the world. Can you tell us the story of the "Cazzotto" and how it became the chocolate symbol of love?
Il Bacio comes from a waste of dough that has gone badly. In fact, as long as the hazelnuts do not release their oil which acts as a binder, it seems sandy and therefore unusable. Continuing to mix it my great-grandmother saw that this dough was tied, she made the ball, put it on the palm of her hand and said: "We will call it Cazzotto". In fact, the ball with the hazelnut on it resembled a punch, but Mr. Buitoni specified: "But no Luisa, we can't make a lady ask for a punch when she goes to the bar, it's better than asking for a kiss". And so the Kiss was born.
His grandfather Aldo was the creator of the advertising campaign that launched the Perugina with the stickers of the four musketeers. Do you share any memories?
I was not born yet but from the family stories I am aware that he had created this publicity stunt. I also have a photo that depicts a hot air balloon landing in Milan with the Three Musketeers. My mother used to say that she was very funny because everyone was looking for the ferocious Saladin, an almost unobtainable figurine.
His Confiserie is purely artisanal and is inspired by grandma Luisa's original recipes. Can it be said that inside you can breathe the scent of chocolate from the last century?
Absolutely yes. I make chocolates just like they did at the time to reflect the flavors and aromas of the past.
The packaging is also particularly accurate and is inspired by the original one. How do you get to such levels of fidelity with your grandmother's actions?
We were first educated in the tasting of the raw material and the finished chocolate, but also in how it looks. Chocolate is all of this, it's how you present it, it's what it tells you when you eat it. It is a tradition that has been handed down and one of the talents of the Spagnoli family is also having the imagination to present and package it.
In the Confiserie menu the products have the names of his ancestors. Grandma Luisa, Annibale, Giovanni, Sor Aldo, every time you browse is a bit like opening the drawer of memories?
Each chocolate represents the most important members of the family, in fact the Kiss is “Nonna Luisa”. The Pomona, a very fragrant and refined old chocolate in our menu is called "Gianni" because it reminds me of my father who had a very refined palate.
Where do you get inspiration for the phrases for “Nonna Luisa”?
I still own the book from which my grandfather Aldo took inspiration for the love phrases that were printed on the cartouches of the Kiss.
Do your children also continue with the family tradition?
I have five children and two of them work in the family business, Carlotta in communication and Anna in the preparation of products.
Photo source: Luisa Spagnoli
