Nougat

English '' was borrowed in the early 19th century from French , whose pronunciation is approximated in English as (). The spelling pronunciations (, cf. nugget'') and () have also become common in British and American English respectively, the latter being the standard American form. () in Greece, and in Brazil, similarly takes its name from vulgar development of Latin ("almond"). Maltese () and Sicilian ( & ) names for nougat derive from Arabic (). Iranian forms—particularly those from the Isfahan region—are known as gaz () from its incorporation of psyllid honeydew, traditionally misunderstood as astragalus sap. ==History==

than nougat , Persian nougat from Isfahan, Iran being added to egg whites to produce nougat paste Principally owing to the simplicity of the basic recipe and a similarity between the Latin terms and , dialectical Italian and , and the Sicilian terms and , it is sometimes claimed that nougat appears in Roman authors such as Varro, Livy, Martial, Cicero, Aulus Gellius, and Plautus, It is, however, probable that somewhat similar confections were known to the Greeks and Romans. the Samnites are sometimes credited with an egg, honey, and hazelnut confection;may have been kinds of nougat The recipes describe the nougat as varieties made in Baghdad (now in Iraq) and Harran (now in southeastern Turkey). Medieval references to have been found at locations within the triangle between Urfa, Aleppo, and Baghdad and in the writings of the 10th-century traveler Ibn Hawqal, who stated he ate in Manbij (now in Syria) and Bukhara (now in Uzbekistan). The related confection Halva is attested in Persia by at least the 9th century, but the manufacture of gaza soft Iranian form of pistachio nougat further flavored with the sweet honeydew of the plant lice is only documented since the late 16th century. The tendency of Arab and Persian cooks to include spices and flower water in their nougats was not replicated in European recipes. In the 16th century, it appeared in the novels of Miguel de Cervantes and in several recipes, such as those in Lope de Rueda's . It is first attested in Provence in southern France in the 17th century and was assiduously promoted by the town's mayor Émile Loubet, who subsequently became France's prime minister and president in the 1890s and 1900s. Meanwhile, pulverized flavorings were also creating other colors of nougat, particularly dark nougat made with cocoa powder. In the early 19th century, Britain's blockade of France and its allies and Napoleon's retaliatory embargo of British goods limited access to pure cocoa and prompted chocolatiers around Turin (at the time annexed to France) to experiment with other fillers including almonds and grains. In 1852, Michele Prochet successfully tried using finely ground roasted hazelnuts, producing Caffarel's chocolates. Pendergast used this for a walnut-flavored candy bar called the Fat Emma, but its "Minneapolis" or "Minnesota nougat" was soon copied by Frank & Forrest Mars for their extremely successful 1923 Milky Way bar. ==Variations==

White nougat , France (2011) , France (2014) (top) and Jijona nougat (bottom) from Spain The usual form of nougat in Western and Southern Europe is made from a mousse of whipped egg white sweetened with sugar or honey. Various nuts including almonds, pistachios, macadamias, hazelnuts, and walnuts and/or pieces of candied fruit are added to the resulting paste, which is allowed to harden and then cut into pieces for serving. It received protected status in 2024. with two styles particularly distinguished. Soft () or Jijona nougat () is over 60% almonds by mass but kept mushy or crumbly by the addition of oil to the recipe. Lacking such oil, hard () or Alicante nougat () is extremely firm, particularly when prepared in very thick blocks. Jijona nougat has also received PGI protected status. Italian nougat () is likewise made with whipped egg whites, sugar, honey, and roasted almonds but also usually features vanilla or citrus and edible rice paper. Venetian nougat () is similar but generally firmer, with the variety from Cologna Veneta on the Veneto mainland particularly esteemed. Both Spanish and Italian nougat are prominent components of their cuisine's Christmas meals. In Malta, local nougat is sold at village festivals. In Romania, nougat () is likewise sold at local festivals and fairgrounds, particularly on the Sunday of Forgiveness preceding Lent. In Britain, nougat is traditionally made in the style of the southern European varieties, and is commonly found at fairgrounds and seaside resorts. The most common industrially produced type is coloured pink and white, the pink often fruit flavoured, and sometimes wrapped in edible rice paper with almonds and cherries. French nougat does not have any milk or milk powder ingredients but, when nougat spread to Taiwan, preparers there began to add milk powder as the main ingredient, plus sugar, cream, protein (some companies use whey protein refined from fresh milk instead of protein and protein powder), nuts (such as peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios or hazelnuts), dried fruit and petals (such as cranberry, golden pomelo, mango, orange, longan, and osmanthus). Similar forms of nougat are now found throughout mainland China as well. Brown nougat bar, filled with American-style "fluffy nougat" , France In the United States, nougat more often refers to a softer brown paste made in industrial settings. It usually consists of corn syrup or sucrose aerated with a whipping agent like hydrolyzed soy protein or gelatine; other components such as vegetable fats, milk powder, and preservatives may be added to impart or enhance desired characteristics. Such nougat is used as a filling in commercial candy bars, frequently in combination with milk chocolate, caramel, and peanuts. Varieties of this nougat are found in Baby Ruth, Double Decker, Fast Break, Milky Way, Moro, Nuts, Snickers, Twin Bing, and Zero bars. Occasionally, American confections feature its form of nougat as their primary component. Especially aerated "fluffy nougat" is the main ingredient in 3 Musketeers candy bars. In Central and Northern Europe, nougat is usually made with , a mixture of cocoa and hazelnuts, with the white form often being distinguished as "French nougat". Viennese nougat is a soft variant that contains cocoa mass and butter, sugar, and hazelnuts. Introduced to Finland by Fazer in 1904, it has become a staple Finnish Christmas treat. ==See also==