Gianduja
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Gianduja is one of the masks of the Italian Commedia dell'Arte, typically representing the town of Turin (and Piedmont in general).
The mask depicts an honest peasant of Piedmontese countryland, with a certain inclination for wine, gastronomy and beautiful girls, while strictly faithful to his lover Giacometta, who is usually represented by a cute girl.
His origins are in Callianetto, a county between Turin and Asti, and his name in Piedmontese dialect sounds "Gian d'la dojia" (it is pronounced "Gian d'la duia") which means something like "John the pottering man." 'Duja' is the carafe + sink usually installed inside the bedroom in 1800 AD. In Commedia dell'Arte 'John' is popular. Every woman knows him and Giacometta, his girlfriend, always becomes jealous.
He is dressed (in the usual version) with a tricorn hat and a brown jacket with red borders. Personality-wise, he always has a happy humour.
The character of Gianduja was originally created as a marionette and is now Turin's official "king of the Carnival".
A type of biscuit first produced in Piedmont by Pierre Paul Caffarel after traditional recipes is called gianduja.
Gianduja (or, more commonly, gianduia) is also the name of a sweet chocolate containing about 50% hazelnut and almond paste. The chocolate hazelnut gelato of the same name originates in Switzerland, as does Gianduia fondue. A related product from Ferrero is Nutella, which was originally called Pasta Gianduja.
Gianduiotti, a speciality of Turin, are chocolates shaped like an upturned boat, again made with a mixture of cocoa and hazelnut paste.
