A Chocolate Fiesta in Lutsk: From Rosalini’s Café to MYZO’s Craft Revival

¡Hola, amigos! Who would have guessed that the cozy city of Lutsk, Ukraine hides a chocolate historia as rich as a cup of hot cacao? From a legendary Italian chocolatier who charmed Volyn society in the early 1900s to MYZO’s bean-to-bar revival, Lutsk’s love affair with chocolate is a story worth savoring. Vamos - let’s unwrap it where we make our chocolate.

The First Chocolatier of Lutsk: Cesare Rosalini’s Legacy

In 1912, Cesare Rosalini, an enterprising Italian, opened Café Rozalini in central Lutsk. Back then, chocolate was a luxury, but Rosalini brought it within reach, crafting sweets that quickly became the talk of the town. For nearly 30 years, he served marzipan, biscuits, halva, chocolates, cakes, and fizzy lemonade. Locals joked that a Sunday promenade wasn’t complete sin una visita – without a visit – to Rosalini’s.

What made it special? Everything was handmade on-site, from truffles to pralines. Rosalini even took custom orders for weddings and holidays. His famous Shakotis - a spiky Lithuanian tree cake - was a chic treat in the 1920s.

But Rosalini’s café was more than sweets. It was a cultural hub where evenings meant live music, dance parties, and gatherings of Lutsk’s artists, politicians, and professors. The café appeared in humorous newspaper columns, and local lore claims Rosalini once hosted Polish leader Józef Piłsudski. Even decades later, older residents remembered Rozalinka with nostalgia.

Lutsk’s Interwar Chocolate Boom

Rosalini was soon joined by others. In 1927, Warsaw’s Franboli chocolate company opened a branch at 60 Jagielonska Street. They offered chocolates, marzipans, and caramels delivered fresh from Warsaw three times a week, with prices matching the capital. Customers could enjoy treats on-site, adding to Lutsk’s growing café culture.

By the 1930s, Franboli had boutiques across Poland, including Lutsk. Alongside Rosalini’s artisanal touch, Franboli brought big-city flair. Lutsk became a sweets crossroad: Italian, Polish, Greek, and Turkish confectioners all operated here. Sweet shops were social equalizers - students, clerks, and city officials sat elbow-to-elbow over hot cocoa. Festivals, dates, and business deals often involved chocolate, weaving it into the city’s daily rituals.

Soviet Era: Lutskkonditer’s Rise

After World War II, private chocolatiers disappeared. In 1969, Lutsk founded its own confectionery factory, later known as Lutskkonditer. It produced everything from caramels and waffles to bonbons and cakes, with classics like “Ptashyne Moloko” (Bird’s Milk) becoming beloved.

The factory’s hallmark was natural ingredients. By the early 2000s, its sweets were considered a “visiting card” of Lutsk. But post-Soviet market changes hit hard, and by 2017 production had nearly stopped. A new local owner revived part of the plant in 2019, focusing on baked goods and small-scale candy production.

Even in the factory era, the local pride in chocolate-making endured - a direct link to Rosalini’s ethos.

MYZO: Continuing the Tradition, Adding Pura Vida

Today, MYZO Chocolate carries forward Lutsk’s artisanal legacy - with a Latin American heartbeat. Founded after the team’s pura vida awakening in Costa Rica, MYZO works directly with a Costa Rican family farm in the Matina Valley. We roast, grind, conche, and temper every bean in Lutsk, bean-to-bar, without intermediaries or artificial additives.

Like Rosalini, we believe in creating chocolate that’s both delicioso and socially responsible. Our cacao is grown sustainably; our business supports environmental and community causes in Ukraine. Every MYZO bar is a little fiesta - bold flavors, vibrant packaging, and a blend of tropical and Ukrainian inspiration.

Walking into our workshop, you might hear “Hola, mi amor, добрий день!” - a greeting that sums up MYZO’s cultural fusion. We honor the past but innovate for today, making chocolate that unites quality, conscience, and joy.

From Rosalini to Today: A Sweet Continuum

Lutsk’s chocolate story spans over a century:

• 1912 – Rosalini opens the city’s first artisanal chocolatier.
• 1927 – Franboli brings cosmopolitan flair.
• 1969 – Lutskkonditer turns chocolate into a city-wide pride.
• Today – MYZO blends Costa Rican cacao and Ukrainian craft into modern bean-to-bar creations.

Through wars, political shifts, and economic changes, Lutsk has always found a way to keep life sweet. MYZO is proud to be part of that continuum - crafting chocolate with love, respect for nature, and a dash of fiesta.

¡Pura Vida y шоколад, Lutsk! Here’s to many more chapters in this delicious tradition.

👉 Discover our collection at www.myzochocolate.com and support Ukrainian chocolate that cares – from bean to corazón.

Sources:
Kotys, O. Незабутня цукерня Розаліні в Луцьку. 2019
Yatsechko-Blazhko, T. Які солодощі полюбляли лучани 90 років тому. 2019
Енциклопедія Сучасної України: Луцьккондитер 2017
Pershyj.com Як працює екс-«Луцьккондитер». 2019
MYZO Brand Vision & Strategy 2023