Gay-Odin opens in Milan

Sveva Maglietta often uses the word ‘excellence’, not because it’s a trendy word but because she knows that is what really defines the chocolate sold at famous Napolitan patisserie Gay-Odin. “We are an artisanal company that produces different types of chocolate, all made using ancient recipes and quality raw materials. We have an advantage over the rest: we toast our cocoa beans very slowly at a low temperature, so they maintain their beneficial properties throughout the production process. Once cooled, the cocoa beans are sent to be ground where they are reduced to crumbs and then made into cocoa paste. Then comes the conching, tempering and shaping. The whole process is strictly artisanal.”
The brand boasts an impressive history, w hich Sveva Maglietta told us all about. “In Naples in the late 19^th century, the scent of chocolate drifted along the length of Via Chiaia between the clothes shops, cafés and tailors. Isidoro Odin had recently moved to Naples from Alba and brought with him a passion for chocolate and a desire to experiment with new recipes. His atelier was an instant hit with the Neapolitan elite. In 1922, Isidoro opened a factory near Via dei Mille. Another reason for the growth of the company was his marriage to Onorina Gay: which saw the creation of the Gay-Odin brand. During the Sixties, the Castaldi family bought ownership and Isidoro revealed his secrets to Castaldi’s grandson  Giuseppe Maglietta. Today the company is run by his wife Marisa Del Vecchio and children, Davide, Dimitri and me.”
And now the company has decided to open a shop in Milan, on Via San Giovanni Sul Muro. Why? “We love this city and we welcomed the  challenge.”
It looks like they are going to take that challenge in their stride, judging from the products on offer, even their piece de resistance alone, the product that made Gay-Odin famous all over Italy: ‘foresta’. ‘Foresta’ is milk chocolate formed into an interesting folded, woven shape,  very similar to a tree trunk. Even the two eternally battling factions of the chocolate world – the fans of milk chocolate and fans of dark chocolate of course – seem to find peace over this product. How this could ever happen nobody knows, since the recipe is top secret. Looks like we’ll just have to try it.