The Di Bartolo family story dates back to 1951 and for over seven decades they have evolved from working with fragrant Sicilian citrus products into producing exquisite pastes, pralines, oils and candied fruits. Their abiding love for their island is behind their commitment to upholding and furthering the reputation of the town of Modica’s “black gold”, the famously high-quality Modica chocolate that is a protected geographic product.

Modica chocolate, often referred to as "black gold" for its incredibly high value, is obtained from the Theobrama Cacao plant, which comes from the Greek for “food of the gods”. Just 1% of cocoa tree flowers become fruit, or pods as they are known. Each tree produces between 25-40 pods, which take around 6 months to reach the point at which they can be harvested.

In 2008, Modica chocolate gained geographic protection status. Five years earlier, the best chocolate maestros of the province of Ragusa had got together and formed the Modica Chocolate Consortium, designed to protect the quality and reputation by implementing rigid guidelines. Many studies have demonstrated the health benefits of Modica chocolate which contains concentrated levels of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, flavonoids and antioxidants.