Nothing can ever compare to Nutella. There I said it. It can mend your broken heart and fill your hungry stomach like nothing else ever will. It’s a versatile spread that goes well with almost anything and everything. Yes, Nutella is an emotion.
It’s loved by everyone all over the world and frankly, I haven’t come across anyone who isn’t crazy about this creamy hazelnut and cocoa spread. But, have you ever wondered who invented this spread and how it came into existence?
Well, here’s a crash course on the history of Nutella. Thank us later.
During WWII there was a shortage of cocoa supplies and that’s where Nutella came into existence. How, you ask? In 1946, a pastry chef named Pietro Ferrero ingeniously created a sweet, delectable paste by combining hazelnuts, sugar, and rare cocoa. He named it ‘Giandujot’ (named after a famous local carnival character at that time).
Initially, Nutella wasn’t made into a spread though. It was originally a chocolate block that could be cut into thin slices and sandwiched between slices of bread.
This concoction was popular amongst mothers who would serve blocks of this thick paste between slices of bread to their children but, kids started ditching the bread and going all out for the chocolate in between.
That’s when Ferrero had a thought: ‘Why not make the treacly substance creamier, so it could be spread more easily on bread?’ He spent the next few days altering the recipe to make it creamier and called it Supercrema Gianduja.
However, in 1964, Pietro Ferrero’s son revisited the recipe again and experimented with it to find ways to improve its quality and voila! He came up with the first-ever jar of hazelnut and cocoa cream but, he still wasn’t sure what to name it. So, he put on his thinking cap and came up with the word ‘Nutella’. This delicious, mouth-watering spread has become a breakfast staple, ever since.
After taking over the German market in 1965, Nutella expanded further into Europe and took over the French market. In 1978, the first Nutella plant was opened in Lithgow, near Sydney.
This spread is so popular, Nutella lovers have been celebrating World Nutella Day on 5th February every year, since 2007. Sara Rosso, an Italo-American blogger and Nutella lover was the one who came up with this idea.
So, next time you open that ol’ jar thank the Italian pastry chef, without whom your go-to snack wouldn’t exist. Now, grab a spoon and dig in before someone else gets their hands on it.
Who knew this chocolate-hazelnut spread would conquer the entire world.
