Legend says the Tartufo di Pizzo was born of necessity when ice-cream maker Giuseppe ‘Don Pippo’ De Maria ran out of dessert molds during a prestigious princely feast. He began shaping hazelnut and chocolate ice cream into a ball around a molten chocolate center and dusted the exterior with cocoa and sugar. Their resemblance to truffles gave the dessert its name. 

Today, the authentic legacy continues at Gelateria Dante and Gelateria Ercole, run by Don Pippo’s descendants in Pizzo’s town center. It is a celebrated pillar of Italian culinary heritage and holds the prestigious Protected Geographical Indication PGI/IGP status, a designation that legally mandates the dessert be produced within the town of Pizzo to carry the name.

Enjoying a Tartufo in Pizzo’s panoramic square, means savoring a piece of Calabrian history!

Want to try making it at home? Click on the recipe card below.