Nougat

In Germany, nougat is a soft to sliceable paste made from finely crushed nuts or almonds, sugar, and cocoa products, whereas in French- and Italian-speaking regions, it is a white, airy confection made from egg white and honey.

In Germany, nougat is a soft to sliceable mass made from finely ground nut kernels or almonds, sugar, and cocoa products—whereas in French- and Italian-speaking regions, it is a white, airy mass made from egg white and honey.

One word, two confections, and both are allowed to bear the name. Anyone in this country saying "nougat" refers to the brown substance in a praline that tastes of roasted nuts and cocoa. Anyone in Montélimar or Asti saying "nougat" refers to a light-colored slab containing whole almonds or hazelnuts that smells of honey and comes both hard and crunchy as well as delicate and soft. The word is older than any regulation, and it has developed in two directions on either side of the Alps. When facing an unfamiliar package, therefore, it is not the front that helps, but the list of ingredients on the back.

What does "Nougat" mean in German?

Literally translated: nut cake. The word came from French, preceded by the Provençal "nougat" for a cake with almonds, and behind that, the Latin "nux" for nut. The Duden dictionary lists the word as both masculine and neuter, so "der Nougat" and "das Nougat" are both correct, and "Nugat" is the permitted alternative spelling. The fact that the nut is in the name and not the cocoa is no coincidence. It is the older part of the story.

What is the difference between nougat and chocolate?

Chocolate is precisely measured by law; nougat is not. The Cocoa Ordinance requires at least 35 grams of total cocoa dry matter per 100 grams of product for chocolate, including at least 18 grams of cocoa butter and at least 14 grams of cocoa dry matter excluding cocoa butter. You will look in vain for a definition of nougat in the same annex; it is found in the guidelines for oilseeds of the German Food Book. This explains the difference better than any number: in chocolate, cocoa leads; in nougat, the nut leads. The processes also diverge. Chocolate mass is heated to 90 degrees in a conche and stirred for up to 48 hours until the brittle powder has become a delicate, liquid mass. A nougat mass, on the other hand, is created through fine grinding and remains decidedly dry, with a maximum of 2 grams of moisture per 100 grams of mass.

Is nougat always made from hazelnuts?

No. However, the label will tell you quite precisely where you stand, because the guidelines stipulate:

If the term "nut" is used in the designation of a food within the meaning of these guidelines without reference to its botanical origin, it refers only to hazelnuts and/or walnuts.

Therefore, almond nougat mass stands on equal footing with nut nougat mass, containing at least 30 grams of almonds and at most 50 grams of sugar per 100 grams of mass. White nougat moves even further away from the hazelnut. For Nougat de Montélimar, registered as a Protected Geographical Indication since November 2024, at least 30 percent of the inclusions must consist of whole roasted sweet almonds, supplemented at most by peeled green pistachios. At least 25 percent of the sweetening ingredients must be honey; industrial baking honey is excluded, and no additives other than vanilla are permitted. It is produced in Montélimar and 13 surrounding municipalities in the south of the Drôme, with around 3,000 tons produced annually by 13 manufacturers.

Seven hours in the cauldron

In Asti, the D.Barbero company adheres to the old recipe for Torrone d'Asti: Piedmontese hazelnuts of the protected Nocciola Piemonte IGP, honey, and fresh egg white. The mixture cooks for about seven hours in steam-heated cauldrons. It is then lifted out with wooden paddles, pressed by hand into beechwood molds, and cooled on marble tables until the next day. The faster mechanical process used by the industry for this purpose is excluded here. The Torrone Classico alle Nocciole contains 55 percent Piedmontese hazelnuts per 100 grams of product, plus acacia honey from Masio, muscovado sugar, egg white, wafers, and Madagascar vanilla. Cocoa does not appear in this declaration, and that is precisely the point.

How to recognize good nougat

Turn the package over and read the ingredients list: A nougat mass consists of nut kernels or almonds, sugar, and cocoa products, and the guidelines require at least 30 grams of nut kernels or almonds per 100 grams of mass with a maximum of 50 grams of sugar. What is sold as "Nugat" or "Noisette" is such a mass with at most half the amount of sugar; a portion of this may be cream or milk powder. A second sign is the addition of "with ... flavor": it must appear on the package as soon as a product does not meet the minimum quantities of the guidelines and is usually found in the main field of vision. If a flavor is achieved exclusively with aromas, that is also stated there. A third: For "Nugat-Krem" and "Nougatcreme," the guidelines expressly provide for added vegetable fats and oils, whereas for "Nugat" masses and "Nugat" itself, they do not. And because roasted kernels taste different from unroasted ones, roasting is indicated.

At home, the rule for nougat pralines is the same as for chocolate products in general: store in a dry, dark, and cool place at 12 to 20 degrees, airtight, and away from anything with a strong odor. If it gets too warm, fat crystallizes on the surface and leaves a light veil over it. This "fat bloom" is not mold, but leaked fat.

Nougat and Torrone from Asti

D.Barbero offers both sides of the word. Brown and made from nuts are the Gianduiotti, their dark sister Giandujotto Fondente, and the Pistacchiotti with pistachio; how this Piedmontese version came to be is described in the Gianduja product guide. White, made from honey and egg white, is the Torrone Classico alle Nocciole. The Torronjotti combine both: white chocolate containing, at 17 percent of the product, Barbero nougat made from Piedmontese hazelnuts, honey, and egg white, plus hazelnut paste and hazelnut flour. Those who cannot decide should take the Gianduiotti Mix featuring the house's varieties. The ingredient list for the Berger milk chocolate cat tongues filled with nougat includes hazelnuts and almonds alongside the milk chocolate. An espresso, a slab of Torrone to break off, and two pralines on the side: that is how a Sunday afternoon ends well.

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