Ghirardelli chocolate holds a special place in my heart. My brother and I always looked forward to the Ghirardelli store at the local outlet mall. Every time we would walk in, we'd just have to get a sample of the newest signature square. I've tried almost every flavor of Ghirardelli chocolate, but my favorite still has to be the dark chocolate with sea salt caramel.

I'm a Ghirardelli fanatic, so I think I pronounce it correctly (gee-rar-deli), but some of my friends say (jee-rar-dah-lee), which is annoying. But I've done my research and must settle this debate by telling the world how to pronounce Ghirardelli the correct way.

A Brief History

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company was started in Stockton, CA in 1852 by Italian immigrant Domenico Ghirardelli. The company continued to grow after the first shop opened and he gradually opened more stores.

In 1893, the company bought the Pioneer Woolen Building on San Francisco's Northern Waterfront, which is now the site of the famous Ghirardelli Square. Interestingly, the company's famous filled squares were not introduced until recently in 1999. 

Now there are tons of shops nationwide, including the most popular joints in San Francisco, Chicago, and Downtown Disney. Every store welcomes you with a sample of the newest flavor to keep you fueled during your chocolate shopping spree. 

How to Pronounce It Correctly

The name Ghirardelli has Italian origin. Admittedly, now I'm just imagining Mario saying it. Records show that it is pronounced geer-ar-delly (with the g as in girl), and this has been confirmed by a Ghirardelli spokesperson. 

If you want to listen to how it's pronounced, watch a video on YouTube to hear how to pronounce Ghirardelli in a lovely Italian accent. 

Because Ghirardelli has such an inspiring backstory and quite the history, people should respect the chocolate and pronounce its name correctly. High-quality, irresistibly bold chocolate like Ghirardelli truly deserves it. 

Ghirardelli Square

Sarah Arora

Two summers ago, I had the chance to go on a quick trip to San Fran before school started and visit Ghirardelli Square. There was a huge store, a chocolate museum, and tons of cute little shops. It was August, but it was super cold for San Fran. 

If you ever have a chance to visit San Francisco, head to Ghirardelli Square. You can embrace the history of the iconic squares and eat your weight in tons of chocolate treats, including sundaes and brownies. There's also a wide array of irresistible milkshakes, coffee beverages, and flavored hot chocolates.

Sarah Arora

I ordered the salted caramel hot chocolate because nothing is better than the combination of sweet caramel, a slight bitterness from dark chocolate, and sea salt. It was super comforting. As a bonus, it was topped with the Ghirardelli logo in the form of a caramel-filled milk chocolate square. 

As a side note, everyone in San Fran pronounces it like gee-rar-delly, and those people know their chocolate better than anyone. If you say Ghirardelli any other way, San Frannies will know you're a tourist and will give you the most unfriendly glare. 

I'm a four-hour flight away from San Francisco, but I'm always tempted to go out and buy a bunch of filled chocolate squares at a local store. With quite the history and popularity, Ghirardelli (GEE-RAR-DELLY) is worth every penny, and it's totally worth pronouncing correctly.