Sweet Treat

Ettore Fila, son of Giansevero Fila, who established the Fila Sport fashion brand in 1969, has launched Unique Unico, a confectionery brand, aimed at preserving — and updating — the pastry-making tradition of the Piedmont region, in northern Italy.

By reinventing the pastry recipes of the region, where

Fila was born and raised, the entrepreneur has looked for the most exquisite ingredients and combined them to create the signature canestrello Biellese, a biscuit made of two layers of wafer enveloping a stuffing of dark chocolate.

A sweet treat dating as far back as the 18th century, the Unique Unico’s rendition called “canestrellino” comes in a smaller size and adds saffron to the filling sauce, making it all the more mouthwatering. Housed in refined black packaging, the cookies retail from 8 euros to 45 euros depending on the size of the box.

In addition to the signature Biella biscuit, the pastry brand will offer a modern take on the signature gianduiotto chocolate praline, adding unexpected twists like notes of saffron, Sicilian citrus fruits and Barolo wine to the chocolate and Piedmont hazelnuts, the two core ingredients to the original praline’s recipe.

Other products include the drageé, or sugared almonds, offered in a hazelnut variation coated in dark or milk chocolate, as well as salted caramel, and the cremini cubic pralines, signature sweets from Turin, which combine gianduia with hazelnut and coffee-flavored chocolate.

The Unique Unico pastry products can be purchased online on a dedicated e-commerce, as well as at select pastry shops and coffee bars.

Fila’s founding family sold a majority stake in the company to entrepreneur Cesare Romiti’s

Gemina in 1988. After several ownership changes, the brand is now controlled by Fila Korea Ltd. and is listed on the Seoul Stock Exchange. — MARTINO CARRERA