For couples like then-30-year old Baci candy inventor Luisa Spagnoli and young Giovanni Buitoni, it wasn't just their love of chocolate they had in common — it was their love. Legend has it that the two shared love notes fanning forbidden flames in the early 1900s.

“I never settle, which drives people crazy,” Recchuiti asserts. “I have a difficult time being comfortable, so I throw myself into uncomfortable situations.”

This year it appears that pistachios have their time in the sun to shine as a trendy inclusion amongst a broad range of artisanal chocolatiers.