One of the sweetest memories of most middle-aged people is, without a doubt, Nutella. Chocolate-nut paste in the simplest packaging with a picture of hazelnuts made an incredible splash in the post-Soviet space. Those who could not buy it, prepared pasta in their kitchen, while dreaming of a treasured jar. Although no one even thought that this delicacy was born in Italy. "What would a world be like without Nutella?" - says the slogan of the famous brand. We don’t know what the world would be like without an Italian yummy, but we certainly know what it is like with her and what her secret is.
Story
Nutella’s history is closely linked to gianduia chocolate, which is almost 30% filled with hazelnuts. He was born in Piemonte, when after the war, prohibitive taxes on the import of cocoa beans were introduced, and the distribution of regular chocolate declined sharply.
Pietro Ferrero owned a pastry shop in Alba in the Langhe region, a territory famous for the production of hazelnuts. In 1946, the first batch of Dzhanduy weighing about 300 kg. The product was a chocolate paste filled with nuts in the form of small chopped sticks.
In 1951, the gendarme became Supercrema. Now the delicacy was sold in large banks as canned vegetables.
In 1964, Michele Ferrero decided to improve the production of pasta in order to promote it on the European market. He changed the composition, label and product name. It was formed from the English word nut (walnut), adorned with Italian pronunciation. So the name Nutella was born. The logo registered in the same year has survived to this day unchanged.
The first jar of Nutella was released on April 20, 1964.
In 1965 she conquered Germany, in 1966 - France, and then continued her victorious march through Europe. In 1978, in Australia, not far from Sydney, a plant was opened for the production of the famous chocolate-nut paste. And today, the treat remains extremely popular and is often mentioned in songs and films.
In 2010, the European Parliament approved a law requiring manufacturers of foods high in fats and sugars to put a “high calorie level” warning on the label. This measure was aimed at combating obesity. Ferrero's vice president Paolo Fulchi took her in hostility. He created a committee called Hands Off Nutella and, with the support of the Italian Minister for European Affairs, called for not to succumb to the “fundamentalism of nutritionists.”
Interesting Facts
- In 1964, the lid on the jar of Nutella was painted red. Later it was made white to reduce (at least a little) production costs.
- In 1969, an attempt was made to fortify the composition of Nutella, making it suitable for baby food. The chemist at the Ferrero factory admitted that at some point the management ordered to enrich the pasta with vitamins to get ahead of competitors and encourage mothers to buy. The new product never went on sale.
- The use of glass containers from the very beginning of production is a form of incentive to buy pasta. After emptying the jars, it was used for domestic needs. Until 1990, it was decorated with abstract images related to nature. Then they were replaced with photographs from comics, which are still used in Italy for a product in 200 g containers.
- In 2007, Claudio Silvestri, the chef of the Italian national football team, said that he himself eats sandwiches with nutella for breakfast.
- In 2012, the French senator proposed to increase the tax on palm oil by 4 times. Oil is one of the main components of the paste. Therefore, the media dubbed the initiative "Nutella tax."
- In 2013, Ferrero joined Greenpeace in favor of a moratorium on deforestation in Southeast Asia for palm oil production. The company runs under the slogan "Nutella Saves the Forest." To this day, Ferrero uses palm oil obtained from areas where there was no destruction of trees for planting palm trees.
Composition
Nutella composition varies from country to country. More precisely, it is not the components that change slightly, but their content. Modern pasta has gone far from its predecessor, the janduya, which included only sugar, chocolate and nuts. What is now involved in the famous delicacy?
Sugar
Nutella contains sugar from beets and sugarcane. The company Ferrero has strict requirements for the purchased raw materials. Sugar must be clean and have a certain crystal size. The company has been cooperating with some suppliers for more than 40 years, and new ones undergo a rigorous selection process. The sugar content in chocolate paste is approximately 56%.
Palm oil
Palm oil is obtained from the fruits of the palm Elaeis Guineensis, which grows in the equatorial area. It is used in nutella in order to give the paste a creamy consistency and emphasize the aroma of other ingredients. Oil differs from other types of vegetable fats in that after a certain processing it has a neutral taste and smell. Another positive point is the special texture, characterized by good spreadability.
Manufacturers of nutella do not hydrogenate palm oil, which ensures the complete absence of trans fats harmful to health.
It also acts as a biological preservative that increases the shelf life of treats, as it does not undergo rapid oxidation. The content of the component in the paste is about 19%.
Hazelnut
Hazelnuts for preparing nutella come mainly from small farms in Turkey and Italy. Harvesting begins in early August and ends in late September. Then the nuts are dried, cleaned and transferred to the factory, where they are sorted, final cleaned and calibrated.
The company buys only a whole hazelnut, which before roasting is additionally checked for compliance with quality standards.
Fry and grind it just before adding it to the paste in order to preserve the taste and aroma as much as possible. An interesting fact is that Ferrero’s purchases of hazelnuts account for about 25% of global hazelnut sales. The mass fraction of nuts in nutella is approximately 13%.
Cocoa
Cocoa, from which nutella is made, is sourced from western Africa. Harvesting occurs throughout the year. They are opened, seeds with pulp are extracted, which are fermented for about a week. Then the beans are dried and sent to the factories of Ferrero. After evaluating the organoleptic, physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of the raw material, it is converted into cocoa powder. The content of this component is about 7.4%.
Skimmed milk and whey
According to Ferrero, for the manufacture of nutella, milk powder and whey are subject to much more control than is required by law. Monitoring of the organoleptic properties of dairy raw materials takes place at several levels (at the supplier, at the enterprise at the time of delivery, in the central units of quality control) using the most modern methods. The share of milk is 6.6%.
Soya lecithin
Lecithin is used in nutella as an emulsifier. It is obtained from soybean, which grows in Brazil, India and Italy and has not undergone genetic changes (the product does not contain GMOs). Lecithin provides a unique paste texture. Its content in the delicacy is minimal.
Vanillin
The composition of nutella includes a flavor identical to the natural vanillin molecule. The production of vanilla pods is not enough to satisfy the growing global demand for this flavor. In this connection, the confectionery industry resorts to the synthesis of spicy substances. A can of 400 g paste contains about 0.08 g of vanillin. Its quantity is minimal, but enough to create the taste and smell of classic pasta and add the finishing touch.
Like many large companies that produce popular products, Ferrero keeps the exact recipe of Nutella in the strictest confidence. But in terms of the composition of the paste, it can more likely be attributed to spreads than to chocolate creams.
Related Products
In the confectionery industry, there are many competitors of Nutella both within Italy and abroad. Among the most famous analogues of Italian delicacies can be noted:
- Merenda in Greece;
- Nusspli and Nudossi in Germany;
- Alpella in Turkey;
- Choconutta and Hazella in Canada;
- Biscochoc in New Caledonia (France). The Italian nutella was banned from importing to the island in order to protect sales of its product.
- Nocilla in Spain and Portugal.
Until now, not one of them has managed to surpass the well-known pasta in popularity. And all over the world, only with Nutella is the aroma of chocolate and nuts associated.
Calorie content
To say that nutella is quite a nutritious treat is to say nothing. Its calorie content per 100 g is as much as 546 kcal, which are composed of:
- Proteins 6 g;
- Fats 31.6 g;
- Carbohydrates 57.3 g.
Of the total carbohydrate content, almost 98% are sugars, of fats - 30% saturated. These are controversial substances in the diet of people leading a healthy lifestyle. Systematic consumption of large portions of paste can lead to an increase in adipose tissue.
The recommended daily allowance should not exceed more than 15 g for children, adolescents and people leading an active lifestyle.
Those who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, high sugar or cholesterol, who do not move much during the day should not use the famous treat at all.
In the US, Ferrero has been sued for false advertising that nutella is good for health. In April 2012, the company agreed to pay compensation in the amount of $ 3 million and make changes to commercials on radio and television.
Storage
No matter how much you want to put an open jar of Nutella in the refrigerator, you should not do this, because:
- A large amount of sugar in the product acts as a preservative, preventing the growth of microorganisms.
- Fats from nuts become very viscous upon cooling, and the paste loses its creamy consistency.
Thus, an open nutella can be stored at room temperature in a cabinet until the expiration date.
Homemade recipe
Nutella manufacturers may challenge us, but we can confidently say that homemade chocolate paste is much more useful than purchased.
The recipe for Nutella at home is quite simple. The finished product will not have such a bright aroma, but its taste will make a very pleasant impression. To make 450 g of pasta you will need:
- Dark Chocolate - 100 g;
- Milk - 100 ml;
- Butter - 80 ml;
- Hazelnuts - 80 g;
- Sugar - 100 g;
- A pinch of vanillin.
First, grind sugar with toasted hazelnuts in a blender. It is preferable to grind the components into powder, but if you like to feel pieces of nuts, then you can not crush until the end.
In a saucepan over low heat melt butter with chocolate, add milk. After obtaining a homogeneous mass, pour sugar-nut powder and mix again. Cook for 6-8 minutes, without boiling.
Fill the home nutella in a jar, close the lid and let cool. Unlike a purchased product, pasta made in-house must be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 weeks. The treat is used as an addition to liver, bread and fruit. It is used as a cream for cakes and pastries, as well as a filling in pancakes.
Price
Buy nutella in any civilized country in the world is not difficult. In the homeland of pasta, its price is about 18 Euro per 3 kg. In Russia, the same 3 kg can be bought for 1800-1900 rubles. The most purchased package of 350 g will cost you 300 rubles.
On this, all the secrets of the famous pasta are revealed. You ask: "What is her secret?" It is that there are no secrets. For the most part, people eat something that satisfies their taste, not paying attention to the pros and cons of products. Live boldly, experiment sensibly, travel smoothly and remember what Vladimir Mayakovsky would say: "Eat nutella while you are young and live on the run. Aging and sitting in a chair - definitely give it to the enemy!"
