Nougat- France

Fig Nougat

If you were ever fortunate enough to have experienced a box of chocolates in your life, you’ve probably sampled the many possible chocolate fillings that exist. Each box normally contains a variety of caramel, crème, liquid cherry, and usually, nougat fillings. My personal favorite is nougat. But until I visited France, I didn’t actually know what nougat was.

In the United States, nougat is rarely sold outside of its chocolate shell. In France, however, nougat is enjoyed as a candy in and of itself. Furthermore, it comes in a wide variety of flavors that make you wonder why it was ever hidden inside a chocolate at all!  

Nougat is made from light and frothy whipped egg whites and sugar or honey. Of course, other flavors are added for variety, including vanilla, rose, chocolate, nuts, and dried fruits. But the basic recipe always calls for whipped egg whites and sugar.  The sugar is boiled to a thick consistency (often times, cornstarch is added to speed the process) before it is combined with the eggs. After it is mixed into a marshmallow/taffy texture, other flavors can be folded in. The nougat is then set in a pan and let to cool.

In France, I had the pleasure of tasting fig flavored nougat. Having just come from Israel, my taste buds were craving some Middle Eastern treats. Some nougats can be hard, like a sucking candy. But this one was fluffy, but dense. I expected it to pulled away from my lips like a piece of taffy. But instead, it broke off like a piece of fudge. The nougat itself had a delicate and lightly sweetened flavor, which was only interrupted by the fresh pieces of figs that were interspersed in the candy.

I suppose that the reason nougat hasn’t made it big in the States is because it is not overly sweet, like the rest of the candies we eat. Furthermore, the flavors that are used to enhance it and give it variety are normally fresh ingredients that would otherwise be considered health foods (dried fruits, nuts, rose water, etc.). This candy is the perfect treat for anyone who doesn’t like overly processed or sugary delights. You can find it inside many chocolates, but why disguise the nougat’s delectable essence?