Nutella® is a chocolate hazelnut spread made from the combination of roasted hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa. World Nutella Day has been celebrated worldwide on the 5th of February since 2007. Nutella®, in its earliest form, was created in the 1940s by Mr. Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and founder of the Ferrero company. At the time, there was very little chocolate because cocoa was in short supply due to World War II rationing. So Mr. Ferrero used hazelnuts, which are plentiful in the Piedmont region of Italy, to extend the chocolate supply.
The original version of Nutella® was called “pasta gianduja”. “Pasta” means paste, and “gianduja” is the name of a carnival character famous to the region. This character were used in the first advertisements of the product. Pasta gianduja was actually made in loaves and wrapped in tinfoil, similar to butter, so it could be sliced and spread on bread. This chocolate and hazelnut cream became the basis for what would eventually be sold in Italy as Nutella from 1964. The popularity of Nutella® has grown steadily over the years and it is now marketed and sold all over the world. Nutella® is still manufactured and sold by Ferrero, an Italian company and can be found world-wide in grocery stores (usually near the peanut butter).
If you love Nutella®, be sure to get your hands on “The Unofficial Guide To Nutella” by Sara Rosso and Michelle Fabio. The authors, who call themselves the World Nutella Day co-hosts, wrote the book for both aspiring and veteran Nutella fans to better understand their favorite hazelnut spread and help spread the word about Nutella®. Inside the guide, you’ll find Nutella® recipes with full-color photos (black & white on classic Kindle), an introduction on how to eat Nutella®, the author’s favorite Nutella® combinations, fun ideas for how to enjoy Nutella®, how to throw your own Nutella® party, and much more. Here are some of the recipes you will find in the book:
– Flourless Chocolate Nutella Cake (see my February 2013 recipes for the full recipe and photo)
– Nutella & Mascarpone Cream Chocolate Tarts
– Hazelnut Macarons with Nutella and Spicy Nut Centers
– Nutella & Mixed Nut Cereal Clusters
– Nutella & Fresh Ginger Mousse
– Drunken Devil’s Food Espresso Cupcakes with Nutella Filling
– Italian-style Hot Chocolate with Nutella
– Banana & Nutella Cake
– Banana Nutella Brownies
Info adapted from http://nationnutella.blogspot.com