A genuine and deep passion, the wish to pass on traditional ancient recipes, many years of experience in the confectionery sector, and a completely artisan working: this is the ‘Torronificio Scaldaferro’ in the Venetian hinterland. In 1919 it gave way to the production of cakes, mustards, biscuits, ‘amaretti’, wafers, jams, candies, and especially almond nougat, the corporate flagship product, included in the list of Italian traditional regional food products, and the only one which has been awarded the acknowledgement of' typical Venetian almond nougat'.
The ‘Mandorlato Scaldaferro’ is friable and easily recognizable thanks to its ‘mousse’ structure, its slightly amber colour, and its processing realized by hand in characteristic flakes. It does not contain any preservative, or colouring agent or additive: it is prepared with Italian nuts directly toasted in the workroom, a blend of Italian honey, whole cane sugar, and vanilla in berry.
The production
The Mandorlato in Gondola
Many delicacies have been produced from this unique product: from almond nougat and soft small nougats to almond cookies, almond slices, and dragées. About 20% of the total production is exported abroad. Among the most popular products there are the ‘Mandorlato in Gondola’, proposed in g 150 version; the g 400 ‘Tortina di Mandorlato’, in red lithographed tin; the slice of almond nougat covered with dark chocolate, and the dragées in chocolate almond nougat, especially popular in Australia and Anglo-Saxon Countries.
The sllices of almond nougat
The slices of almond nougat (very thin tablets) with a thickness of 0.6 mm, were born thinking about a new way of consuming this product, and have proved to be ideal for both individual tasting and catering, as a topping for both sweet and savoury dishes, or combined with cheese or ice cream. These slices, individually wrapped and packaged, are presented in an original package with the shape of a book. The content of almonds, pistachios, or hazelnuts exceeds 40%.
Dragees
The line of dragées consists of small balls in crumbly nougat realized by hand and covered with 65% dark chocolate and powdered cocoa, and soft pralines in marzipan and nougat grain, covered with milk chocolate. They are contained either in elegant gift cylindrical tin or in precious square boxes.
Pietro Scaldaferro
Pietro Scaldaferro, the owner, explains: «We invest 15% of the value of our products on packaging. We have 40 different references, and for each one we would like to specify high quality, nutritional tables, and organoleptic characteristics. In addition, we are going to create a gluten-free line, for celiac disease, so that everyone can consume our products. Over the years, to the line we propose for confectioneries, already characterized by a particular care in the packaging, we added other products, ideal for the large-scale retail trade. We try to keep the same quality for both lines, and our perseverance has rewarded us: today Scaldaferro almond nougat is served for tasting sweet wines, as well as in prestigious delicatessens all over Italy and also abroad, in Australia, America, England, and Canada. For the future, I hope to continue on this path, alongside with my children. We will aim at China and Brazil».
