Today’s Spotlight is on Nutella.

Nutella is a brand of brown, sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread. Nutella is manufactured by the Italian company Ferrero and was introduced in 1964, although its first iteration dates to 1963.

Ingredients:

• Sugar
• Palm oil
• Hazelnuts (13%)
• Skimmed milk powder (8.7%)
• Fat-reduced cocoa (7.4%)
• Emulsifier: Lecithins (Soya)
• Vanillin

Texture

• Nutella has a creamy, gooey texture that’s similar to smooth peanut butter.
• Uses
• Nutella is popular to use for desserts and breakfasts.
• It’s often spread on toast or dolloped on pancakes and waffles.
• It’s also common to find Nutella as a filling for sweet crepes.

 

Comparison to peanut butter

• Peanut butter is generally considered healthier than Nutella.
• Peanut butter contains more natural ingredients like peanuts and has higher protein content.
• Nutella has higher levels of sugar and saturated fat due to its chocolate and palm oil content.

 

History

Nutella was originally created in Italy during World War II. Baker Pietro Ferrero added ground hazelnuts to a chocolate spread to make up for a shortage of cocoa in the country. Nutella has been manufactured by Ferrero since 1964.

Here are some more details about the history of Nutella:

• In 1949, Pietro Ferrero accidentally added cocoa butter to the mixture, making it soft enough to spread. This created Gianduja.
• In 1951, the Ferrero Spa Company started selling the hazelnut spread under the name Supercrema.
• In 1963, Michele Ferrero, Ferrero’s son, revamped Supercrema gianduja. He modified the composition and renamed it “Nutella”.
• The first jar of Nutella left the factory in Alba on April 20, 1964. It was an instant success.
• In 1965, the iconic Nutella packaging was launched.

 

Here are some more fun facts about Nutella:

• The word “Nutella” comes from the English word “nut” and the Italian word “ella”, which is a Latin suffix for “sweet”.
• A two-tablespoon serving of Nutella contains 200 calories, 21 grams of sugar, and 12 grams of fat. It also has small amounts of protein, iron, and calcium.
• The amount of Nutella produced in a year weigh as much as the Empire State Building.
• American Nutella is not identical to its European sister.
• A quarter of the world’s hazelnuts end up in Nutella.
• With 50 hazelnuts in each jar, Nutella uses 25% of the world’s hazelnut crop every year.

 

Here is a recipe for Homemade Nutella Recipe for you to try:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups hazelnuts (240g)
• 1 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup sweetener of choice (see above for options)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk of choice OR 2 tbsp oil, optional

 

Instructions:

1. If hazelnuts are not already roasted, preheat the oven to 400 F and bake for 6-8 minutes or just until they begin to brown.
2. Rub them together in a paper towel to get the skins off.
3. In a food processor, blend the nuts until they’ve turned to butter, then add all other ingredients except milk or oil and blend a long time until it’s smooth.
4. If desired, add in the milk or oil.
5. Enjoy!

 

Consumption

ach year, over 250,000 tons of Nutella are sold in over 75 countries. In 2014, 365 million kilos of Nutella were consumed in 160 countries. This is roughly the weight of the Empire State Building.

Production

Over 1.35 million pounds of Nutella are produced annually. More than 365,000 tons of Nutella are made each year. One jar of Nutella sells every 2.5 seconds.

Consumption

• In 2020, 11.31 million Americans consumed more than one jar of Nutella.
• On average, Nutella is consumed 1.91 times every year.
• France is the world’s largest consumer of Nutella.
• France is also the world’s largest producer of Nutella.

Health benefits

• Nutella is rich in fiber which helps in controlling cholesterol levels.
• It reduces the risk of developing heart diseases.
• Nutella contains calcium that strengthens bones and teeth.

 

Celebrating Nutella

World Nutella day is celebrated on February 5^th every year. Why not take a moment to enjoy this mistake that has become a worldwide sensation.  Let us know in the comments if you love Nutella.