Nutella.......mmmm, Nutella

[cakewalk]

Interesting, I remember how I used to love Nutella. Now I find it too sweet and much, much too greasy, which puts me off more than the sweetness. Funny how tastes change. I recently tried Trader Joe's almond spread and I liked that much better.

[Bill Klapp]

I haven't read the thread linked above, which might mention it, but if you like nutella you'll like the gianduja spread made by Guido Gubbino imported by Zingerman's.

If you're one of the ones who does a jar or two of Nutella a year, it might be worth the splurge.

I was eating Nutella every day during a recent trip to Italy -- they provide it in the hotel breakfast rooms everywhere in a little packet much like jelly is served up here. Got quite addicted. But hated it when I got back home -- the imported version is pumped full of a lot more chemicals than the European version.

I recommend either buying it at an import store, or getting the primo stuff from Zingerman's. The difference is remarkable. You'll probably combust and leave burned shoes behind.

Lindacakes, that is Guido Gobbino, arguably Italy's best chocolatier, and his spread is not to be mentioned in the same breath (or price range!) with Nutella. Peyrano, another legendary Turin-based chocolatier, also makes a chocolate hazelnut spread that will cause spontaneous combustion...

[Bill Klapp]

Nutella mixed with whipped cream makes an easy cake filling, and I also use it in a similar manner to flavour buttercream. It actually goes really well with carrot cakes, and apple/cinnamon cakes, where it is a complimentary flavour. When you pair it with chocolate it can become a bit of a sweetness overload.

I don't like eating nutella straight or as a spread though. I used to live by a market that had a chocolate stall that sold slabs of Callebaut gianduja by weight. My guilty pleasure was buying a block of a few hundred grams and biting it off in chunks...

Who makes "high-end" gianduja - is there an Amadei or Valrhona for gianduja? I ate a lot of the stuff in Perugia and thought it was delicious but I'm not sure who the manufacturer was.

Book a vacation to Turin, which is Italy's chocolate capital and the home of gianduja. You can sample dozens of high-end, artisanal types, as well as artisanal spreads...

[Max101]

I love nutella.  I eat it on crackers, rice cakes, and love it on apples.

[Toliver]

Reviving this ancient discussion to post this article on the (GASP ) change in the Nutella recipe:

"Nutella fans are freaking out over recipe change"

Quote

Nutella said in a post on its German Facebook page on Tuesday that it was "fine tuning" its recipe. It said the addition of more powdered milk increased the spread's sugar content.
The brand's U.S. Twitter page also confirmed the recipe had changed.
The news was met with howls of rage on the internet, where loyal customers professed their love for the old recipe.

Any Nutella lovers ticked off about this? Or is it much ado about nothing?

[Lisa Shock]

Well, it used to contain transfat, which was why I never ate it from the late 80s until the mid 00s. No one seems too bent out of shape about that change....

[scott123]

I don't get it.  Powdered milk is more expensive than sugar or chocolate.

 

My best theory is that they're trying to lighten the color to make it look nuttier, so that when they dial back the hazelnuts (the most expensive ingredient), the color will still provide a psychological association. 

 

Whatever the reason, this is extraordinarily dumb. The knockoffs have already considerably cut into Nutella's market share, so messing with the recipe is only going to drive more customers into the arms of their competition.

[Toliver]

Nutella riots?

"Chaos spreads in France as Nutella-loving customers battle to get 70 percent off"

Quote

As part of a promotion, Intermarché — a French supermarket chain — slashed the price of a 35-ounce jar of everyone’s favorite hazelnut cocoa spread by 70 percent. What transpired were scenes that would warm the heart of any die-hard “Black Friday” bargain-hunter.

In the words of one Intermarché employee, from the northeastern French town of Forbach, who spoke anonymously to Agence France-Presse: “People just rushed in, shoving everyone, breaking things. It was like an orgy. We were on the verge of calling the police.”

Well, the price has been marked down a good bit...but to riot over that? 

 

[Tri2Cook]

3 hours ago, Toliver said:

Nutella riots?

"Chaos spreads in France as Nutella-loving customers battle to get 70 percent off"

Well, the price has been marked down a good bit...but to riot over that? 

 

With the price of groceries where I live, I might be tempted to riot over 70% off. 

[JohnT]

They had a special after Chrismas on the large jars in out local supermarket. I splashed out (even with the discounted price) and bought a jar. It is not what I remember - way too greasy and even more like glue than what I remember a number of years back and not as nutty flavoured as I remember. I see no reason to waste my money further on their product - it has changed! There are a few "Nutella" copies available here which I have tasted and think them way more like the older Nutella than the present presentation of the "new and improved" genuine one. I always laugh at the "New & Improved" logo used on certain products - they are either new or the old recipe has been improved! It cannot be both.

[Katie Meadow]

Perhaps some aficionado of Nutella can verify that the recipe has changed, but I tasted it recently and it is pretty much the same as I remember. Some people swear that the Nutella you get in Europe is better, but it has never been a high-end product, and it has always been oily. "Vegetable oil" is listed as a main ingredient and I am guessing that the type of vegetable oil is cottonseed or some other industrial product. Nutella's main virtue is the price. Good if you have kids! Also it seems fairly stable in a peanut butter sandwich on a long hike. There are some delicious Italian chocolate-hazelnut spreads and creams that are made with dark chocolate and premium ingredients and are sold at gourmet markets; they will set you back a pretty sum. I've sworn off the stuff!  

[JohnT]

@Katie Meadow out of interest, where is your Nutella manufactured? The bottle in my cupboard says Poland. I am soaking the label off the bottle so I can scan it tomorrow and will post it here.

[Katie Meadow]

2 hours ago, JohnT said:

@Katie Meadow out of interest, where is your Nutella manufactured? The bottle in my cupboard says Poland. I am soaking the label off the bottle so I can scan it tomorrow and will post it here.

I haven't bought Nutella in at least five years, so I can't say. Maybe some others can check in their cabinets and let you know.

[JohnT]

For what it's worth:

 

 

And an interesting read:

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/08/nutella-unmasked.aspx

 

[Darienne]

Imagine if we could have tasted it when it first came on the market...

[kayb]

I like it on graham crackers. But I tire of it quickly.

 

[liuzhou]

The twist in the tale of the Nutella riots?

 

Illegal Nutella! Whatever next?

[Toliver]

Nutella is going to have some serious competition.

"Lindt Just Launched Its Own Version of Nutella"

Quote

The makers behind our favorite truffles, Lindt, have created a rival chocolate hazelnut spread and we can’t wait to try it.

While the spread itself has been available in various European countries for a few years, it just landed in the U.K., which can only mean that it will be arriving across the pond soon. 

...While Nutella contains approximately 13 percent hazelnuts, Lindt’s jar is made with 40 percent nuts...

You can get it on Amazon (click) but it's quite pricey.

Has anyone across the pond tried this yet? How does it compare to Nutella?

 

[pastrygirl]

3 hours ago, Toliver said:

Nutella is going to have some serious competition.

"Lindt Just Launched Its Own Version of Nutella"

You can get it on Amazon (click) but it's quite pricey.

Has anyone across the pond tried this yet? How does it compare to Nutella?

 

 

The Lindt appears to have 40% hazelnuts which is a plus, but it does not appear to have cacao or chocolate.  So you may need to spread it on your favorite chocolate bar ...

[Duvel]

Did you ever fill Nutella in an ice cube mold, freeze it, drop the frozen Nutella cube into batter and deep fry it ?

 

It's super delicious, complements any buzz from alcohol or other intoxicating substances nicely and can cause third degree burns, if you pop it in your mouth whole (don't ask ...) 😋

[Anna N]

18 minutes ago, Duvel said:

Did you ever fill Nutella in an ice cube mold, freeze it, drop the frozen Nutella cube into batter and deep fry it ?

 Makes deep-fried Mars bars sound like health food.