Nougat? “What is nougat, exactly,” I hear you cry. It’s a good question but like many good questions, it might be better never to have an answer. Isn’t it better to wonder what’s under the kilt or what the meaning of life is than to actually settle it once and for all? Don’t we all love a little mystery?
Sure we do – but not so much with our food. And if we are to be served Nougat – much less be asked to celebrate it, I say we look into and find out what makes it tick.*
Nougat, according to Wikipedia (as good a starting point as any for such topics) “is a term used to describe a variety of similar confectioneries made with sugar or honey, roasted nuts and sometimes chopped candied fruit. The consistency of nougat can range from chewy to hard depending on its composition, and it is used in a variety of candy bars and chocolates.”
There are variations of nougat in many national culinary traditions – the Spanish have turrón, the French their nougatine. There is gaz, a Persian variation and two types of African nougat: kurtzati and baxtiti (both rather heavier on fruit than nuts). The Australians prefer to go heavy on nuts while the Germans show their preference for chocolate by calling it Schmelz-Schokolade (molten chocolate).
Sounds delicious but it also sounds quite unlike what I thought of as nougat. And I’m not sure I believe that the stuff inside all those Milky Ways, Snickers bars and 3 Musketeers bars is quite as wholesome as the above makes it sound. Ah – and I was write because if I’d bothered to glance a little further down the page, it is pointed out that the stuff inside those items “is a mixture of sucrose and corn syrup aerated with a whipping agent such as egg white or hydrolyzed soya protein. It may also have vegetable fats and milk powder added.”
Yum?
Still, that helps me a bit. Nougat – in the proper (and dare I say edible) sense of the word sounds lime something worth celebrating. That other stuff sounds a lot like something you’d use to caulk your windows.
* Please note: This is just an expression of speech. If your nougat is ticking – it’s not nougat. It is a “device” and should not be eaten under any circumstances.
7 responses so far ↓
1 The Older Loomer Man wrote on Mar 27, 2008 at 12:52 pm
In my wildest dreams I NEVER dreamed anyone could make me so curious about “nougat” that I would decide to actually check the side of an American candy bar label or two. I don’t know if the word “nougat” will appear on said confectionary wrappers on this side of the pond, but I’ll be sure to come back and let you know…
2 Deb wrote on Mar 27, 2008 at 9:01 pm
I’ll be interested in hearing if it does say ‘nougat’. It might prompt me to look and see how – if at all – ‘nougat’ is defined by the FDA.
3 The Excel Demon wrote on Mar 27, 2008 at 10:46 pm
This is all very fascinating, however, one has to ask what the correct pronunciation is? I live in fear of someone asking me to read an ingredients list aloud!
4 Deb wrote on Mar 27, 2008 at 11:23 pm
pronunciation: noo-get
5 Patrick wrote on Mar 27, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Actually, on this side of the pond, it’s apparently pronounced nooh-gah.
So take your pick. Can’t bear the stuff meself.
6 midnight confections almond nougats wrote on Jul 4, 2008 at 10:34 pm
There are actually different styles of nougats. They vary not just in texture, but also taste- for example, italian nougats are often made with subtle lemon flavoring. Most nougats are made with almonds, but you’ll also find other varieties such as pistachios, dried cherries, cranberries, and I’ve even seen variations made with peanuts. Some confectioners add flavoring to the nougat candies, so you’ll also find it in coffee, chocolate, and even maple syrup flavors. For a candy that’s existed for hundreds of years, many confectioners have successfully added their own twists and creativity to the original nougat recipe
7 Deb wrote on Jul 5, 2008 at 1:51 am
the more I hear about nougat, the more I tend to want to go and find out more. I really did start off thinking of it as “just that stuff in a Three Musketeers bar” but clearly THAT is a nougat abomination and real honest to goodness nougat is in fact more of a culinary art.
Fascinating stuff. Thanks for the info on the variations. I had no idea!
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