Dolci Pensieri di Calabria, Chocolate-Covered Figs from Calabria
Since 1998, in Rende near Cosenza, Dolci Pensieri di Calabria has been processing Dottato figs into baked, filled, and chocolate-covered specialties. Since 2011, this dried fig has held the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Fichi di Cosenza, and its honey-like sweetness defines the confectionery's entire range.
Dolci Pensieri di Calabria represents the sweet side of a region otherwise known for its spicy peperoncino. In Rende, a few kilometers north of Cosenza, two brothers have been processing the figs of their homeland since 1998, just as their family has done for over 50 years. The name translates to "Sweet Thoughts," and that is exactly what you find in their boxes. Dried figs from local orchards are oven-baked, filled by hand, and dipped in chocolate.
Where Calabria gets sweet
Calabria is considered the "spiciest" part of Italy, yet the province of Cosenza has been fig country for centuries. Between the mountains and the sea, the land produces not only citrus fruits and grapes but also figs. In the valleys of Crati, Esaro, and Savuto, the fruit finds a mild climate, plenty of sun, and soil that imparts an astonishing amount of aroma.
The family behind Dolci Pensieri di Calabria has been at home in this "fig country" for over 50 years. What began with drying and processing their own harvest was turned into a business by two brothers in 1998 on Via Rossini in Rende, a lively university town on the outskirts of Cosenza. Experience and tradition—that is how the company describes its work to this day.
The timing was bold. In the 1950s, the province still harvested around 65,000 tons of fresh figs per year; today, it is only a fraction of that, about 1,000 tons. The brothers held fast to a craft that was becoming rare, and that is precisely what you can taste in their specialties. Today, the boxes from Rende are long since found on the shelves of gourmet retailers north of the Alps.
The Dottato fig: honey-sweet and teardrop-shaped
Of the approximately 700 fig varieties in the world, the Dottato grows around Cosenza—juicy, fleshy, and aromatic, with a thin golden skin and a center of honey-like sweetness. Since June 2011, the dried version has carried the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Fichi di Cosenza.
The PDO seal ties the fruit firmly to its home: only Dottato figs grown, dried, and processed in the province of Cosenza may bear the name. Even the sun-drying process is part of these regulations, adhering to methods local farms have used for generations. Variety, soil, and craft go hand in hand here, and it is this trinity that keeps the workshop alive.
Harvesting happens twice: the "Fioroni" ripen from mid-June to mid-July and are eaten fresh, while the "Forniti" follow from August onwards and are destined for drying. For this, they are laid out on reed mats in the sun for a week, turned regularly, and brought under cover every evening so that no moisture penetrates the fruit.
Three kilograms of fresh figs yield just one kilogram of dried ones. What remains is a dense, soft fruit containing the sweetness of an entire Calabrian summer. The entire product range is built upon this foundation. Calabria does not get any sweeter.
Baked, filled, and dipped in chocolate
The Fichi al Cioccolato are the heart of the assortment. For these, the dried figs are oven-baked, left plain or filled with almonds, walnuts, or candied orange peel, and dipped in chocolate. With the first bite, the thin shell cracks, and underneath awaits soft, honey-sweet fig flesh. Despite all the chocolate, the fig remains the protagonist; its aroma is always at the forefront.
In addition, the house preserves the shapes that the region has known for generations for the holidays. "Crocette" are figs laid out in the shape of small crosses with walnuts, accompanied by braided plaits and spheres made of dried fruits. Bocconcini with rum or hazelnut, pralines with coffee, fig salami, and a panettone with figs for the Christmas season continue the old tradition.
Beyond the fig, the workshop also works with what the south provides: candied fillets of orange, citron, and lime in chocolate coats, as well as dates with walnuts and plums with almonds. Bars and creams with bergamot, licorice, or peperoncino are the deep south's answer to the chocolate art of Turin. And with the "Pitta 'mpigliata" made of shortcrust pastry, raisins, honey, walnuts, orange peel, and vermouth, the house also bakes the province’s classic holiday pastry.
From the orchard to the terracotta basket
The brothers oversee the orchards in Rende and San Fili throughout the year. This allows them to know which orchard each batch comes from, when the fruits reach the perfect level of ripeness, and which harvest is suitable for which specialty.
Filling is done by hand, fig by fig, because this is the only way to keep the soft fruits intact and ensure the almond sits exactly where it belongs. The house's chocolate bars are also handcrafted; about 500 pieces leave the workshop daily, each one hand-poured and hand-wrapped. It is the kind of work that cannot be rushed and is recognizable from the very first bite.
The company packages its figs beautifully in baskets and containers made of terracotta, which are crafted in Calabria. The box thus becomes a gift that lives on after the last piece is gone, as a bowl for fruit, olives, or the next "sweet thoughts."
Sweets for the cold season
Chocolate-covered figs are seasonal products with a built-in calendar: harvested in late summer, filled and chocolate-covered in autumn, and on the table from the first cool days until Christmas. In Italy, these filled figs are as much a part of the holiday season as stollen is here—as the conclusion to a long meal, with an espresso, or with a glass of sweet wine.
However, the workshop never stands perfectly still: in the spring, it shapes Easter eggs and pralines, then the cycle begins anew. For us, chocolate items take a break over the summer, as heat and chocolate do not get along during shipping. This calendar does not have a fixed date; it is determined by the weather. As soon as it gets cool outside, the figs from Rende return, just in time for the first gifts of winter.
Those who wish to continue tasting southern Italy will find two Sicilian neighbors, Antica Bottega Siciliana and Scyavuru, both bringing just as much sunshine along with them. This way, you can put together an entire southern Italian dessert, from figs to almond cream.
On the shelf of our chocolate category, Dolci Pensieri di Calabria represents the deep south of Italy, and our Sweets category gathers even more from this world. The grid below this text shows you exactly what is currently available from the new harvest.
