Fiat Cremino Classico – Christmas box

Fiat Cremino classico in a Christmas box from Bologna

The Fiat Cremino classico by Majani is a four-layer nougat morsel made of hazelnut and almond nougat, invented in Bologna in 1911. Not a filled praline, but a solid cube of layered gianduia, presented here in a festive Christmas box of ten pieces.

The Fiat Cremino classico is the most famous praline from the Majani house in Bologna and consists of four layers of nougat, with two hazelnut layers and one almond layer in between. It contains 22 percent hazelnuts and 21 percent almonds, with only sugar, cocoa butter, and cocoa mass otherwise. Ten morsels are included in the Christmas box, weighing a total of 101 grams.

The cube does not snap, but gradually gives way under the tooth, and on the tongue, the layers immediately disintegrate into a single creamy mass in which hazelnut and almond alternately take the lead. Nutty, creamy, melting.

Four layers, no milk in the mix

The construction is the whole trick of this praline, as two layers of darker hazelnut nougat enclose a lighter almond layer, and because the layers have different fat contents, they melt one after the other.

What is particularly remarkable is what is missing from the ingredient list. There is no milk powder, and the Cremino manages entirely with nuts, sugar, and cocoa butter. Its creaminess therefore comes from the total nut content of 43 percent. This is exactly what distinguishes it from most other nougat pralines on the shelf. Majani processes the cocoa from the raw bean, a path that has become rare among manufacturers of this size.

For espresso and advent calendars

A Cremino is finished in three bites and thus fits perfectly into the gap left by an espresso, with the box featuring a nutcracker motif sitting on the table next to it.

With a strong espresso, the hazelnut stands out, while with a glass of Vin Santo, the almond is more prominent and the melt lasts longer. The ten individually wrapped morsels are also suitable for distributing, perhaps as a filling for homemade advent calendars or as a small addition to a gift. Those who want to discover the entire range from the house can find it in the Majani Advent Calendar.

Nougat of this kind likes it cool but not cold, and it feels most comfortable between 15 and 18 degrees Celsius. If stored too warm, the nut fat rises to the surface and leaves a light film over the cube. This film does not change the taste, but it does affect the appearance.

Invented in 1911 for a car launch

The Cremino owes its existence to an advertising commission, as Fiat launched the Tipo 4 in 1911 and was looking for something sweet to celebrate the occasion, to which Majani responded by supplying this four-layered cube.

It still bears the name of the car today, and the recipe has remained unchanged for over a hundred years. The company itself is much older, as the Laboratorio delle Cose Dolci, Italy's first chocolate factory, opened in Bologna next to the Basilica di San Petronio in 1796.

In 1832, the Scorza, the country's first solid chocolate, was created there; in 1878, Majani became a purveyor to the House of Savoy, and nine generations later, the family still leads the company itself.

You can find the entire range under Majani Chocolate, and more in our chocolate collection. One car is long history, but the confection that goes with it is not.