Confectionery company Ferrero has released a book called Nutella World that explores the rise of the hazelnut spread brand that has conquered the world in recent decades.
According to Ferrero, "Manteca", which refers to "a mixture of soft or fat substances with a creamy consistency, is at the heart of the Nutella recipe. The Manteca is achieved right after the hazelnuts are toasted and then ground to the perfect consistency before anything else is added to the mixture.
The book tells how Nutella was created by accident from a small block of semi-hard chocolate-hazelnut mixture (Giandujot) that could be sliced and eaten with bread. The summer of 1949 was a particularly hot one, and the Giandujot was melting. It was then that its creator, Pietro Ferrero, realised that it could be reduced to a cream, which resulted in Nutella.
The first jar of Nutella was made and sold in Italy in 1964. These days, about 350000 tons of Nutella are produced every year, with over 11000 tons of this sourced from the company's facility in Lithgow, NSW.
The global growth of Ferrero and Nutella has led to the company developing new hazelnuts industries in the Southern Hemisphere, most recently in Australia. Farmers in the Riverina area of New South Wales are expected to be producing around 5000 tonnes of hazelnuts in-shell by March 2018.
The Australian book launch took place recently at gourmet food store LaManna Direct in Melbourne, and marked the beginning of a month long celebration of Nutella at LaManna.
The launch was attended by Nutella World author, Gigi Padovani, a journalist and food writer who was born in Alba, Italy - the town where Nutella was first created.
Gigi Padovani said: “I hope that through the book, Australian readers can get a deeper insight into the amazing story of this brand, from its humble beginnings in a pastry-shop, founded by Mr Pietro Ferrero in Italy seventy years ago, to today, one of the largest confectionary groups in the world.”
The book is available now at select retailers including LaManna Direct and retails at $45.00.
