Mandrile Melis, Cuneesi from Fossano in Piedmont
Mandrile Melis is a chocolate shop from Fossano in the province of Cuneo, founded in 1986 by Giuseppe Mandrile and Maria Antonietta Melis. The company became known for its Cuneesi al Rhum, the great praline of Piedmont. Today, the range includes over 40 varieties, each one finished by hand.
Mandrile Melis stands for the great praline from Piedmont: a crisp chocolate shell enclosing a delicate, creamy ganache, called a Cuneese, named after the city of Cuneo. The house in Fossano has been doing exactly that since 1986, starting with the Cuneesi al Rhum. If you are looking for Italian pralines that don't taste factory-made but have a distinct signature, you have come to the right place.
Two names and an idea from Fossano
The company name reveals the founders: Giuseppe Mandrile and Maria Antonietta Melis laid the foundation in 1986 with the Cuneesi al Rhum.
It all started with a single recipe. The rum Cuneesi made the chocolatier Giuseppe Mandrile famous throughout Italy, and from that one idea grew a whole world of ganache, nuts, and liqueur over the course of about 40 years. To this day, the chocolate shop is located at Strada del Santuario 64 in Fossano, a small town nestled between the hills of the Langhe and the mountains of the province of Cuneo.
Fossano is not a place you just happen to pass through. The small town is located in the south of Piedmont, surrounded by fields and hills, with the Alps as a backdrop on the horizon. Anyone who tries the Cuneesi there quickly understands why the house never felt the need to move anywhere else.
What has remained is the underlying philosophy: respect for tradition, combined with a desire to try new things. This is exactly what makes this house so appealing, as a recipe from its founding days and a pistachio filling from today sit peacefully side-by-side at Mandrile Melis. The chocolate shop has long been known beyond Italy, but it has retained the character of an artisan workshop.
From rum to pistachio, the full variety
The heart of the collection is the Cuneesi al liquore, the classic liqueur pralines, complemented by varieties that are creamy, nutty, and fruity.
The Cuneesi al Rhum are the original, dark ganache with real rum encased in premium dark chocolate. The Grappa Pralines with Italian pomace brandy are more tart and dry—a piece of Piedmont for those who prefer dark chocolate.
The liqueur varieties are the backbone of the company. You already know rum and grappa; in Italy, they are joined by Genepy, the herbal liqueur of the Alps, as well as Amaretto and Grand Orange. Each brings a different tone to the same dark ganache, and that is exactly how you recognize a workshop that has mastered its craft.
If you prefer something sweet and mild, choose the Cuneesi Cremino Latte with hazelnut cream under milk chocolate or the Cuneesi Torroncino, where shards of white nougat provide a delicate crunch. Both are alcohol-free and popular with young and old alike.
Then there are the "younger children" of the house: the Cuneesi Pistacchio with rich green pistachio cream, the sweet and salty salted caramel, and the zesty Limoncello with lemon liqueur. In Italy, the house offers over 40 varieties, from Gianduia to the little Basin ëd Fusan, the "kisses of Fossano," as well as tartufi, Nocciolotti with whole hazelnuts, chocolate-covered Cioccogrissino, and hand-decorated Easter eggs.
In winter, festive editions are added, with cinnamon, Moscato, and Zabaione, wrapped in paper with designs that recall old Christmas postcards. This, too, is part of the house: the calendar plays a part in determining what is created in the workshop.
Piped by hand, praline by praline
Tradition dictates the process: the ganache is piped by hand onto a small chocolate disk, just as a pastry chef handles a piping bag.
After cooling, each praline is dipped into a crisp layer of chocolate. Because this step is not performed by a machine, every Cuneese gets its own slightly irregular shape; no two are exactly alike. One piece weighs about 20g, significantly more than a standard praline, which is precisely why they are called the "great pralines."
Here, handmade also means that the number of steps does not decrease when demand increases. The ganache must be piped, cooled, coated, and wrapped, each piece individually. It takes time, but you can see it in the praline, and you can taste it. Anyone who has ever piped ganache by hand knows how much feeling goes into that one movement.
For ingredients, the house stays close to home. The Tonda Gentile Trilobata of the Langhe, the fine Piedmontese hazelnut, is personally selected and roasted in-house. Milk and eggs come from nearby farms, which you can especially taste in the varieties made with egg and wine.
Just as Mandrile Melis has done since 1986, in the end, every nuance counts, not the quantity. The result is then presented to you individually wrapped in colorful paper with Italian designs that reveal each variety from afar.
The great praline and its city
The pralines are named Cuneesi after Cuneo, the city at the foot of the Piedmontese Alps, where they were created about 100 years ago.
What began in the city's confectioneries quickly became known beyond the region. It is even said that Ernest Hemingway stopped in Cuneo in 1954 to pick up Cuneesi al Rhum for his wife. Not bad for a piece of chocolate.
To this day, the Cuneese has not remained a mass-produced item, but a specialty that is proudly shared within the region. It belongs to Cuneo just as the hazelnut belongs to the Langhe, and anyone who has tried a good one understands the excitement. The name is not a marketing gimmick, but simply a statement of origin.
Mandrile Melis continues this tradition just a few kilometers away. The fact that a company from the eighties nurtures a century-old specialty while simultaneously expanding it with pistachio or salted caramel is not a contradiction, but exactly the reason why the Cuneesi are still alive today, just as Giuseppe and Maria Antonietta began.
Where best to start
If you are not yet familiar with Cuneesi, the Cuneesi Mix is the easiest entry point, with 2 pieces each of three varieties.
For purists, there is no way around the Cuneesi al Rhum, the house original, ideally with a small espresso. If you don't like alcohol, the Cremino Latte or the Torroncino are excellent choices, both mild and nutty. And if you love pistachio, you don't need any advice anyway. Once you have found your favorite, you can get them individually in small bags at any time.
For an evening for two, the Grappa Pralines or the Cuneesi al Rhum are the right choice, after dinner, with an espresso or a glass of brandy. For a coffee party with guests, the mix is best because everyone will find their favorite.
As a gift, the bags with ribbons do half the work; 5 pieces are enough for a small treat. You can find more pralines and truffles in our dedicated category, and if you're in the mood for more from the south, browse our Italian specialties. Try them out; the great praline is worth the detour.
