American rock star Bruce Springsteen was thrilled when he received a guitar-shaped slab of Modica chocolate. Created by a Sicilian patisserie, the chocolate had the shape and size of the legendary Fender guitar played by ‘The Boss’. When presented with the chocolate guitar, Springsteen exclaimed: “Oh my God!” The star received his sweet gift at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, where he was performing during the Italian leg of his 2013 Wrecking Ball World Tour. Pastry chef Fiasconaro, from Castelbuono near Palermo, spent more than a month creating the masterpiece entirely by hand. He used a silicon cast to make the guitar from Modica chocolate, which is produced in the southeast of Sicily in the town of Modica in Ragusa. The singer’s entourage says that he wanted to thank the master pastry chef personally. A meeting was arranged, and the chocolate maker was rewarded by a hug and compliments from the smiling musician. Famous for his song ‘Born In The USA’, Springsteen was born in New Jersey. However, he has Italian ancestry and his maternal grandfather was born in Vico Equense near Naples. Modica chocolate has been produced in the Sicilian town since the sixteenth century when the ruling Spaniards brought cocoa beans from the New World. The chocolate contains no dairy, and its crumbly texture, distinctive sweet taste and high cocoa butter content have made it popular among connoisseurs worldwide. It’s not the first time Modica chocolate has made headlines. Earlier this year, a Sicilian chocolate maker set out to create the most expensive chocolate in the world using the chocolate combined with ambergris, which is a rare substance secreted by sperm whales.
You can find more information on Modica's chocolate on the website of the oldest chocolate factory in Modica: Antica Dolceria Bonajuto or read a guide to Modica's chocolate published by our Editor on her personal blog about Sicily.
