During WWII there was a shortage of cocoa supplies and that’s where Nutella came into existence. How you ask? In 1946, a pastry chef named Pietro Ferrero ingeniously created a sweet, delectable paste by combining hazelnuts, sugar, and rare cocoa. He named it ‘Giandujot’
Initially, Nutella wasn’t made into a spread though. It was originally a chocolate block that could be cut into thin slices and sandwiched between slices of bread.
This combination was popular among moms, who would sandwich blocks of this thick paste between slices of bread for their children, but kids started ditching the bread and going all out for the chocolate in between.
That’s when Ferrero had a thought: ‘Why not make the treacly substance creamier, so it could be spread more easily on bread?’ He spent the next few days altering the recipe to make it creamier and called it Supercrema Gianduja.
Pietro Ferrero’s son, however, revisited the recipe in 1964 and experimented with it to find ways to increase its quality, and voilà! He created the first-ever jar of hazelnut and chocolate cream, but he couldn’t think of a name for it. As a result, he put on his thinking cap and coined the term “Nutella.” Since then, this delicious, mouth-watering spread has become a breakfast staple.
Nutella grew through Europe and took over the French market after taking the German market in 1965. The first Nutella factory opened in Lithgow, near Sydney, in 1978.
This spread is so popular, Nutella lovers have been celebrating World Nutella Day on 5th February every year, since 2007.
So, next time you open that ol’ jar thank the Italian pastry chef, without whom your go-to snack wouldn’t exist. Now, grab a spoon and dig in before someone else gets their hands on it.