What is Nutella and why the world goes wild for it!

What is Nutella?

Nutella is a brown sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread.

Nutella is manufactured by the Italian company Ferrero and was introduced in 1964.

Nutella was created by Pietro Ferrero, an Italian pastry chef, in 1946. After World War II, cocoa was hard to come by, so he mixed hazelnuts, which were common in his region, with cocoa to create a spread called Pasta Gianduja. In 1964, his son Michele improved the recipe, making it smoother and naming it Nutella, from nut (for hazelnut) and -ella.

Nutella quickly became popular in Italy and then around the world. Today, it's enjoyed in many ways, from spreading on toast to being used in desserts, and millions of jars are sold every year.

National Nutella Day is celebrated on 5th February each year. It’s a fun day dedicated to all things Nutella, where fans of the spread come together to enjoy it in various ways. Whether it’s on toast, pancakes, in desserts, or simply by the spoonful, Nutella lovers get creative and share their love for the iconic hazelnut-chocolate spread.

It started in 2007 when a fan of Nutella, Sara Rosso, created the day as a way to celebrate the spread and its passionate following. Since then, National Nutella Day has gained popularity worldwide, with social media often filled with Nutella-inspired recipes and fun posts.

Here are some ways to enjoy Nutella!

Baked Nutella Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (280g) Nutella
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup (65g) plain flour

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a small baking tin with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, mix Nutella, eggs, and flour until smooth.
3. Pour the batter into the tin and spread evenly.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs.
5. Cool before slicing. Enjoy!

No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 200g digestive biscuits (crushed)
• 100g melted butter
• 250g cream cheese
• 250g Nutella
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Mix crushed biscuits with melted butter, press into a tin, and chill for 10 minutes.
2. Beat cream cheese, Nutella, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Spread over the biscuit base and smooth the top.
4. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

No-Bake Nutella Cookies

Ingredients:

• 8 Tablespoons butter
• 2 cups sugar
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup Nutella spread
• 2 cups quick oats
• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions:

1. Place the butter, sugar, cocoa, milk, salt, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until melted and smooth.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil. Boil 1 minute, while stirring constantly.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in Nutella until smooth and creamy.
4. Add the oats and coconut and stir until combined and coated.
5. Drop by large spoonful onto parchment or waxed paper. Flatten and shape, if desired.
6. Let set until completely cooled. Store in a sealed container. Makes 24 large cookies.

Here are some fun facts about Nutella!

It was created due to a cocoa shortage 🍫 – Nutella originated in Italy during World War II when cocoa was scarce. Pietro Ferrero, the founder of Ferrero, mixed hazelnuts with a small amount of cocoa to make a spreadable paste, which later became Nutella.

A jar is sold every 2.5 seconds ⏳ – Nutella is so popular that a jar is sold somewhere in the world every 2.5 seconds!

You could circle the Earth 🌍 – If you lined up all the Nutella jars sold in a year, they would wrap around the Earth nearly two times.

Nutella has its own holiday 🎉 – World Nutella Day is celebrated on 5th February every year by Nutella lovers worldwide!

It’s more popular than peanut butter 🥜 – In some countries, including parts of Europe, Nutella outsells traditional peanut butter by a huge margin.

The original name was "Supercrema" 🏺 – Before being named Nutella in 1964, it was called Supercrema Gianduja.

There’s enough Nutella to cover the Great Wall of China 🏯 – The amount of Nutella produced in a year could cover the Great Wall of China 8 times!

What’s your favourite way to enjoy Nutella? 😊