Nougat

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Nougat inside chocolate confectioneries.
Nougat inside chocolate confectioneries.

Nougat (pronounced [nuːgɑɹ]) is a term used to describe a variety of similar confectioneries made with sugar or honey, roasted nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios or hazelnuts are common, but not peanuts) 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 two basic kinds of nougat: white and brown. White nougat is made with beaten egg whites and is soft, whereas brown nougat (called nougatine in French) is made with caramelized sugar and has a firmer, often crunchy texture.

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[edit] Distribution and popularity

In southern Europe, where it is likely to have originated, nougat is largely associated with the Christmas season.[1] Traditional nougat candy is produced mainly in Spain (where it is called turrón, or, in Catalan, torró) and in Cremona, Italy (where it is called torrone); Montélimar, France; and Belgium. It is also enjoyed in Australasia and the Far East, where it is sold as a gourmet confection. Golden Boronia and Flying Swan are some examples of European nougat specifically manufactured in Australia. An online poll primarily based of North Americans show that from a variation of 8 flavors the most popular is the regular almond soft closely followed by the almond crunchy and the unique green tea soft as the next favorite.[2]

The "nougat" used as an ingredient in many modern candy bars is not similar to traditional recipes, but 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, and is typically combined with nuts, caramel or chocolate. In contrast, some European confections feature nougat as the primary component, rather than one of several. Milky Way, Mars, Snickers, Reese's Fast Break, Reese's Whipps and Baby Ruth all have different types of nougat.

[edit] Variations

Spanish turrón follows the traditional recipes with toasted almonds, sugar, honey and egg whites. Torrone from Italy includes these same basic ingredients as well as vanilla or citrus flavoring, and is often sandwiched between two very thin sheets of edible wafer.[3]

Australian nougat is produced by a similar method to French nougat but usually has a 50% almond content and no pistachios, although it can contain Macadamia nuts, apricots, or other texture modifiers. The nougat is commonly produced in two varieties: soft and crunchy. During candy making, this is done by heating a sugar solution to different temperatures before folding in egg whites and honey.

"Wiener (Viennese) Nougat", or, in German, "Schmelz-Schokolade" (molten chocolate) is a variant which contains only sugar, cocoa butter, almonds, and cocoa mass, and has a mellow consistency. In Germany, gianduia is traditionally called nougat.

Persian nougat, known as gaz, is a variety that has been produced in Isfahan, Iran for many centuries by Ashrafi nougat and other traditional producers. It contains the sugary extract of the root of Tamarix. A special kind of Gaz is referred to as Nogha (نوقا) in Persian. Nogha is almost exclusively made with walnuts instead of pictachios & almonds which are usual for other types of Gaz. The making of Nogha is very much the same as any other Gaz. The difference is that Nogha is usually spread between two very thin layers of wafers and cut into 10x5x5cm sections which are larger than ordinary Gaz cubes.

There are two types of African nougat, or nougati, ranging from the white kurtzati to the black baxtiti, and mainly containing fruits rather than nuts. The higher fruit-to-nut ratio can be most prominent in the brown simchati nougat variety.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Nougat. Linda's Culinary Dictionary. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
  2. ^ Nougat Flavor Poll. Nougat USA. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
  3. ^ Gangi, Roberta (2005). Sicilian Torrone. Best of Sicily Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.