La Molina

La Molina is a chocolatier located in the Tuscan town of Quarrata, northwest of Firenze. They took their name from one of Maria-Theresa of Austria’s chambermaids, whose sole responsibility was preparing the royal chocolate; she earned her the nickname from the “molinillo,” a small wooden whisk that was used to froth the liquid chocolate drink she served. Today, the small company, lead by master artisan Salvatore Minniti, represents a new wave of Italian chocolatiers, a blend of Italian tradition and modernism.