The story of Baci Perugina begins in 1922 in Perugia, thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit of Luisa Spagnoli, one of the most influential Italian figures of the early twentieth century. Visionary and creative genius of Perugina, she thought of an innovative idea for a new special recipe of chocolates: she devised a combination of chopped hazelnut, recovered from the leftovers, and melted chocolate to create a creamy filling, topped with a whole toasted hazelnut, all covered with Luisa dark chocolate.

The result was a chocolate that resembled the knuckles of a fist, hence the original name, "Cazzotto". It was Giovanni Buitoni, businessman and co-founder of Perugina, who thought of changing its name. In fact, he believed that it was unsuitable for Luisa's sweet creation: rather than having the saleswoman ask for a "punch", it would have been more appropriate for her to receive "Kisses".