It is likely that this Christmas you have wondered why so many videos of men appear on your cell phone. trying nougats of strange flavors, like gin and tonicfresh pine, and things like that. Or maybe you are one of those who, in the middle of summer, go out for a walk through the center of your city, come across a perfectly lit store—big enough to house two soccer teams—dedicated exclusively to selling nougat, and He asks himself: “Who the hell goes into these stores?”
Nougat, or what’s left of it, has become one of the great protagonists of Christmas. In some ways it always has been, but now it seems to have undergone a lifting comprehensive—face, neck and eyebrows included—to look like you’re 20 years old. The architects of this transformation have been the big companies, in collaboration with the great Spanish chefs – almost exclusively men – who have dedicated part of the year to coming up with what will be the star nougat of these holidays. The opening of dozens of stores specializing in this food has also contributed significantly, to the point that it is almost possible to walk through the center of cities like Madrid or Barcelona jumping from one nougat store to another.
It would be better to mention the flavors that have not been used this year to reinvent this classic sweet almond. Today, defining oneself as a fan of Suchard’s traditional chocolate nougat with puffed rice borders on conservatism. Supermarkets offer options such as cheesecake, Donete, Kinder Bueno or carrot cake, which, at least, maintain the pattern sweet-sweet. But more daring proposals have also emerged, capable of generating the occasional family conflict, such as Nachos Cheddar nougat, Jamón Serrano or café con leche in Plaza Mayor, a brilliant marketing strategy. marketing from LaCasa.
It is almost possible to explore the center of cities like Madrid or Barcelona, jumping from one nougat shop to another.
A whole trend has emerged on TikTok around content creators trying these experimental sweets. The most popular creations on networks are usually endorsed by leading figures in gastronomy, such as Ángel León’s plankton nougat, the cheesecake inspired by La Pedroche and created by Dabiz Muñoz —one of the pioneers of this trend— or the range presented by the youtuber gastronomic Peldanyos. Pedro Ureña, spokesperson for ASEMPAS, an association of pastry chefs in Madrid, assures that this strategy of collaborating with chefs is not new, although it has never gone as far as in 2024. He also highlights the rise of alliances between brands, for example El Almendro and Estrella Galicia with its “nougat for brewers”, or the fusion of Suchard with Oreo.
The sales figures confirm the nougat fever. In 2023, they increased by 6.9%, and for the new campaign an additional growth of 3-4% is expected in the Jijona and Alicante designations of origin, according to the Spanish Sweets Association (Produlce). In addition, their arrival in stores is getting earlier and earlier, with the first products available in supermarkets since October. However, consumers are facing rising cocoa prices, caused by climatic factors and speculation, which has led to a general rise in prices. On the other hand, sales of mantecados and Polvorones have also grown, although more moderately, while marzipan registers a decrease, according to data from ASEMPAS.
In addition, nougat manufacturers celebrate the beginning of a slight deseasonalization, although 80% of their sales are still concentrated in Christmas. In the main Spanish cities, especially in the most central areas, large establishments of brands such as Vicens or 1880 have appeared. These establishments, often packed with customers, have multiplied to the point that, in cities such as Madrid or Barcelona, it is It is possible to find a dozen of them.
The reason is its orientation towards tourism, which sees in nougat a souvenir perfect of your visit. “Nougat is still one of the most exported and recognizable sweets in Spain,” explains Ureña. “Many of the pastry chefs who have a nearby signature nougat shop installed are satisfied because they sell more. The foreigner who arrives in a large Spanish city, after buying nougat, also buys a sweet in the artisan pastry shop next door.”
An eternal debate
Although the classics—hard and soft nougat—continue to lead the market, the chocolate version is gaining more and more ground among the young public. In fact, it is very likely that few members of the Zeta generation, born in the late nineties and early 2000s, know what conceptually differentiates a nougat from a simple chocolate bar. “Almonds, the fundamental basis of this Christmas sweet, have been losing prominence, although they continue to be used—to a lesser extent—in almost all nougats,” explains Jesús Monedero, chef and pastry chef at the Palio restaurant in Toledo. “There are fascinating chocolate nougats, but the reality is that many bakers have been influenced by candy when making them.”
Almonds, the fundamental base of this Christmas sweet, have been losing prominence, although they continue to be used—to a lesser extent—in almost all nougats.
Jesus Wallet
— chef and pastry chef
For those looking to clarify what classic nougat is, perhaps the best option is to go to El Horno de San Onofre, a pastry shop in Madrid that smells like roscón from the door. Here, this Christmas sweet is sold in traditional bars with few flavors, with quality raw materials and cut to taste. Ana Guerrero, who runs the store with her sister Mónica, offers close and personal treatment to each customer, even in the midst of the Christmas rush.
“For me, nougat is of utmost importance,” says Guerrero, with a dialectical finesse that many thinkers would envy, while serving at the counter. “In the Mediterranean it has served for hundreds of years to alleviate fears, make the cold season more bearable and sustain nutrition during the winter.” In his opinion, it is essential for any artisan to know the Mediterranean component of this sweet and what it has meant for this culture. “It is symbolized by the hard-shelled almond, which grows protected, almost as in a womb, so that nothing enters or leaves.” Thus, explains Guerrero, nougat provides the necessary nutrients to face the harsh and hostile winter.
Both Ureña from ASEMPAS, and Monedero, from the Palio restaurant, believe that the wide variety of nougats launched in recent years demonstrates the high level of confectionery in Spain and does not damage the essence of the product. “There is no regulation that clearly delimits what separates the artisanal from the industrial,” says Ureña. “It cannot be assured that nougat from large companies is bad, in fact, some have excellent raw materials, although the production process is far from what we find in places like Casa Mira, in Madrid.”
For his part, Guerrero invites us to balance tradition and innovation. Although he welcomes the new proposals, he warns of the danger of losing the roots and value of “the great classics, which are the heart of Mediterranean culture.” In his opinion, innovation should not be limited to adding flashy ingredients or toppings intended to surprise, but to preserve the essence of the product while exploring new possibilities. “When I see an innovative nougat with a great energy load, it seems fantastic to me,” he says. “I just hope it gets the love it deserves so it doesn’t get forgotten when it goes out of style.”
The new nougats are pralines. Although they are called nougat, they have nothing to do with traditional nougat, which is healthy if consumed in moderation.
Ana Guerrero
— pastry chef
In addition, pastry chef Ana Guerrero points out the difference in how healthy a classic nougat is compared to the new versions: “Nougat is an energetic food with sugar, but it can be consumed because we are in a cold season. It is made with raw materials typical of the Mediterranean diet: almonds, honey, egg white and sugar. The new nougats, on the other hand, are pralines. Although they are called nougat, they have nothing to do with traditional nougat, which is healthy if consumed in moderation.”
It is surprising to discover that the debate on innovative fever is not new. As the journalist Javier Jiménez revealed in a article published in Xataka last December, almost two centuries ago, the writer Josep Bernat i Baldoví, in The Valencians painted by themselves (1859), was already ironic about chorizo, loin or hazelnut nougat, criticizing the same culinary extravagance that we see today. Furthermore, the historian Ana Vega confirmed that in 1747 there were multiple “diverse nougats.” All this shows that the so-called “Christmas innovation” is not recent and that, in all probability, there will continue to be room to classify almost any sweet consumed during the holidays as nougat.
#era #souvenir #nougat #Christmas #sweet #lost #essence #due #gastronomic #boom
