There is no denying that Nutella is loved all over the world. But it was American blogger Sara Rosso who established World Nutella Day on February 5, 2007. This soon became a global phenomenon with people sharing and spreading their love of the hazelnut chocolate spread.
Ferrero SpA, the parent company of chocolate Ferrero Rocher and Nutella, took ownership of this holiday in 2015. But how much do Nutella’s adoring fans actually know about this sugary spread? Perhaps not enough. On World Nutella Day 2022, let’s start at the beginning.
Thank god for Napolean
Napoleon Bonaparte reportedly deserves some of the credit for the original unity of chocolate and hazelnut. Back in 1806, Napoleon tried to freeze British commerce in attempts to win the Napoleonic wars. His actions led to a continental blockade, which in turn resulted in the cost of chocolate skyrocketing. However, the resourceful chocolatiers of northern Italy (Turin, to be precise) began adding chopped hazelnuts to chocolate to make the supplies last longer. This delicious paste was then dubbed ‘gianduia’ (pronounced zahn-doo-yah).
Then again during World War II, when chocolate became expensive, Pietro Ferrero, an Italian pastry maker, turned to the hazelnut for salvation. In 1946, he created Pasta Gianduja, which was renamed ‘Nutella’ in 1964.
The name Nutella gave the product instant international appeal. It said nuts. It also said Italy - "ella" being a common word ending in Italian, as in mozzarella (cheese), tagliatella (a form of pasta), or caramella (Italian for a sweet).
In its early days Nutella wasn't really the smooth spread it is today! Ferrero originally designed the chocolate-hazelnut paste as a loaf, which could be sliced and placed on individual pieces of bread, like you might do with a cut of meat or cheese.
It was only after the war in 1951, that Ferrero's son, Michele, altered the recipe to make it spreadable, turning it into the creamy Nutella concoction we love today.
The addictive formula
So why is it that we love this chocolate-y spread so much?
The answer lies in the two addictive taste mates - sugar and fats. The combo keeps you coming back for another slather, even if it means having to run another five kilometres to work off those calories.
Then there is chocolate which promotes serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in regulating moods. High serotonin levels produce feelings of elation.
There are hazelnuts, too, lots of them (more than 50 hazelnuts in a 500-gram jar of Nutella). By one estimate, 25% of the world's hazelnut supply goes towards making Nutella!
However not all Nutella is created equal. Connoisseurs will agree that there are definitely nuanced differences in taste, depending on the country in which it is produced. The American version, for example, is believed to be deliberately sweeter than its European counterparts, while the German variety is thought to have the least sugary and a more pronounced hazelnut flavour. The one available in India is mostly the American version.
You can put it on just about anything
Well, maybe not anything. Nutella and fish might be a bit much. But Nutella doughnuts, milkshakes, Nutella crepes, Nutella cakes, Nutella brownies and Nutella tarts.
Nutella baklava is terrific, as is Nutella pudding and Nutella ice-cream.
Have you tried spreading Nutella on a hot roti? Nutella stuffed crunchy samosas make one lip-smacking snack.
A vendor in Chennai has even Nutella-fried paniyarams! But the best way to indulge in this sugary treat is simply straight out of the jar.
Nutella love is real
Nutella is so beloved on social media that it has been tagged more than 13.5 million times on Instagram and has over 30 million likes on Facebook. Posting a picture of the creamy spread on toast, pancakes or strawberries is one of the fastest ways to social media stardom. According to the makers of Nutella, a jar is sold every 2.5 seconds.
That’s not all. There’s a Nutella Cafe in Chicago that serves an entire menu based on the hazelnut spread. Even the décor (cream coloured walls, red accents and lights shaped like hazelnut plant flowers) makes you feel like you're ensconced in all things Nutella.
Apart from World Nutella Day, the spread also has its own stamp. Italy issued a limited-edition Nutella stamp on its 50th anniversary.
And lastly the correct pronunciation is not 'nut-ell-uh', it's 'new-tell-uh'. "Newtella" not only put the correct pronunciation under their FAQ section of their website at one time, but they've made commercials with the correct pronunciation. If you've been pronouncing it wrong, don't worry, you're not alone. And how does it matter till the time you are decorating your toast with it!
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