Ciobar: Italy's Iconic Hot Chocolate, One Sachet per Cup
Ciobar Hot Chocolate Mix in 25 g single-serve sachets is the food service format of Italy's most famous hot chocolate: a carton of 50 portions, each one delivering a thick, creamy cup in minutes. Launched by cameo in 1960 and produced in Desenzano del Garda (Brescia), it is the winter staple of Italian bars, and this 1.25 kg carton brings it to professional counters in Switzerland through LAPA.
What Is Ciobar
Ciobar is a powdered preparation for chocolate drink based on sugar, cocoa and corn starch: the starch is what gives the drink its typical dense, spoonable texture, very different from a simple cocoa beverage. The name itself tells its story — CIO from cioccolata, BAR from the Italian coffee bar — because the promise since 1960 has been hot chocolate at home as good as at the bar.
Over the decades the brand became a household name in Italy, also thanks to the famous 1990s advertising campaign built around the idea of the taste that warms up winter. The cocoa used today is Rainforest Alliance certified.
The Producer: cameo, Desenzano del Garda
cameo S.p.A. is the Italian branch of the Dr. Oetker group: the Italian operation dates back to 1933 in Milan and was later transferred to Desenzano del Garda, on the Lombard shore of Lake Garda, where Ciobar is still produced. cameo is one of the reference companies of the Italian dessert and bakery aisle, and Ciobar is its winter icon.
Taste and Texture
Prepared as directed, Ciobar gives a glossy, deep-brown drink with a full cocoa flavour, a balanced sweetness and the signature thick body that coats the spoon. Made with whole milk it becomes a dessert in a cup; made with water or plant-based drinks it stays lighter while keeping its creamy structure.
How to Prepare It Like an Italian Bar
Bar method: pour one 25 g sachet into 100 ml of milk, water or plant-based drink in a stainless steel jug, bring to the boil with the steam wand while stirring, and serve in a warm cup. Home method: mix one sachet with 125 ml of liquid in a saucepan, adding the powder gradually, and heat over a moderate flame until it reaches the perfect consistency.
The single-dose sachet is the key advantage for professionals: no scales, no waste, no recipe drift between staff members. Fifty sachets equal fifty identical cups, with a controlled cost per portion.
Professional Uses and Serving Ideas
Beyond the classic cup, Ciobar works as a base for bar and pastry applications: top it with whipped cream for the Italian cioccolata con panna, spike it with a shot of espresso for a bicerin-style layered drink, serve it with savoiardi biscuits for dipping, or use the prepared cream as a warm sauce over panettone, brioche or vanilla ice cream. In winter menus it pairs naturally with whipped cream, cinnamon or chilli powder for flavoured variations.
One sachet per cup is the standard professional dose: a 50-sachet carton covers a full winter weekend of bar service or several weeks of hotel breakfast demand.
Technical Highlights
Net weight 1,250 g (50 sachets of 25 g), gross weight 1,470 g. Ingredients: sugar, cocoa, milk, corn starch, salt, flavouring; may contain wheat, milk, eggs, tree nuts and soy. Energy value of the prepared drink: 475 kJ / 112 kcal per 100 g. Ambient storage in a cool, dry place, 18-month shelf life. EAN 8003000024825.
Distribution and Logistics in Switzerland
B2B and B2C delivery in Switzerland from the LAPA warehouse in Embrach (Zurich). As an ambient dry product, Ciobar travels with the LAPA fleet across Zurich, Winterthur, Kloten, Aargau, St. Gallen and Schaffhausen, while for Ticino (Lugano, Bellinzona), French-speaking Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne, Fribourg) and Graubuenden (Chur, Davos) it ships within 24-48 hours via partner couriers such as Swiss Post, Planzer and Galliker. Full pallets available for high-volume venues.
Who It Is For
Ciobar single-serve sachets are designed for bars and cafeterias, restaurants, mountain huts and ski resorts, hotels with breakfast service, gelaterie and pastry shops in their winter season, canteens, Italian grocery stores and private customers who want the authentic Italian bar-style hot chocolate at home.
