For our cuisine spot today, we’re going to dedicate ourselves to a very famous but overlooked Italian “delicacy” – Nutella.
While the Americans have Oreos, and the Australians Milo and the English are famous for their old-school toffees, the Italians have introduced Europe, and indeed the entire world, to Nutella.
So what is this famous brown spread? Made from hazelnut praline, Nutella can be spread on toast or bread, eaten straight, used in gelato flavours and is the base for many of Kinder’s other products.
It may seem to be a simple product, but it has been the main source of treats for Italian kids for many years.
Developed by Pietro Ferrero, Nutella has its beginnings in 1946 when the second World War and its associated dietary pressures pushed Ferrero to consider using a simple and abundant product from his native Piedmont – the hazelnut.
It was a grand expansion for a small sweet producer, and before long other facilities were opened up across Italy and Europe.
This little nut is not to be underestimated; for 2008 Forbes magazine has classified the son of the founder, Michele Ferrero, as the richest Italian on the planet.
Step aside, Berlusconi and the Agnelli’s.
The slogan “che cosa sarebbe il mondo senza Nutella” – what would the world be without Nutella – is not so over-the-top after all.
