Rum Cuneesi – 5 pcs.

Cuneesi al Rhum, the great rum praline from Piedmont

The Cuneesi al Rhum from Mandrile Melis are large pralines from Piedmont, filled with a dark ganache and real rum and coated in fine dark chocolate. Not a mass-produced item, but the house's very first recipe, with every praline crafted by hand.

Cuneesi al Rhum are the classic large pralines from Cuneo, the city in Piedmont that gave the Cuneesi their name, and they have been one of the region's great specialties since the 1920s. At Mandrile Melis, the rum filling was the very first recipe, the one that once made the chocolatier Giuseppe Mandrile famous throughout Italy. Dark ganache, a shot of real rum, a coating of fine dark chocolate, and an espresso—that's all you need.

Dark ganache and a warm splash of rum

First, the fine dark chocolate snaps, then a soft, dark ganache is revealed, in which the rum lingers warm and long. Not an intrusive alcohol, but rather a gentle glow that remains.

The Cuneesi al Rhum thrive on contrast: tart, soft, and warm all at once. The dark chocolate shell provides roasted notes and a hint of fine bitterness, the ganache responds with melt-in-the-mouth texture and the round sweetness of vanilla, before the real rum allows the praline to finish on a long, lingering note. A Cuneese is intentionally large—a whole mouthful instead of a fleeting bite. Let it melt slowly on your tongue, and it will reveal all its warmth: a greeting from Piedmont that takes its time.

Hand-piped, each praline a unique piece

Every Cuneese is created by hand: the ganache is piped onto a disc of chocolate, which gives each praline its own unique shape.

At Mandrile Melis, tradition dictates the process. The hand-crafted ganache is piped onto a chocolate base, just as a pastry chef guides a piping bag, before being dipped into a crunchy layer of fine dark chocolate after cooling. Each one weighs about 20 g, is wrapped in shiny red foil, and packed by hand. We fill a small bag with a bow with 5 pieces for you, as a gift or just for yourself. A lovely souvenir that tastes like Italy.

Two names and a cioccolateria in Fossano

Giuseppe Mandrile and Maria Antonietta Melis founded their cioccolateria in 1986 in Fossano, a small town in the province of Cuneo, and continue to carry on what began here about 40 years ago to this day.

Cuneo, the city at the foot of the Piedmontese Alps, gave this praline its name. What originated there about 100 years ago in the region's confectioneries is being continued by Mandrile Melis just a few kilometers away. It all started with the Cuneesi al Rhum, and from this single recipe grew a manufactory with over 40 varieties.

To this day, the house maintains the standards set by Giuseppe Mandrile and Maria Antonietta Melis. The Tonda Gentile Trilobata from the Langhe, the fine Piedmontese hazelnut, is roasted in-house, and the milk and eggs come from nearby farms. In this way, a piece of Piedmont remains in every praline, from the ingredients to the pastry chef's signature style.

The entire variety of Cuneesi is worth the detour, as the nutty Cuneesi Torroncino and the tart grappa pralines are just as good as the rum Cuneesi. You can find more pralines and truffles in our own category, and the entire assortment under all pralines from Mandrile Melis. A small espresso is a great companion for the Cuneese al Rhum, as is a glass of rum, just as the praline itself suggests. This is what Piedmont tastes like.