A Nutella Tale
You may not know this (it’s a terrible, well-kept secret), but American Nutella is not — Ahimè! — the same as Italian Nutella.
It’s because I love Nutella so much that I know this. American Nutella is made from a different recipe, a fact confirmed by Ferrero USA when I contacted them several years ago. There’s more chocolate, more sugar, less hazelnut. It’s certainly not bad, but it’s…different. I asked Ferrero if there was somewhere in Philadelphia where I could find imported Nutella, like the kind I fell in love with in France. This would seem easy, since Philly has an entire neighborhood known as the Italian Market. But no, there was not a single place anywhere in the area where genuine European Nutella could be found.
Then I stumbled across a man who actually used the word “Nutella” as part of his online dating handle. Since he was from France, he felt my pain. The first time we met in person, he presented me with a jar of imported Nutella he had located in Hoboken, of all places. Sweets from the land of Sinatra — how could I not fall for this man?
Let me tell you, I rationed out that jar for eons. (It ended up having far better shelf life than Monsieur French Guy!) May those of you who live in the realm of the One True Nutella count your blessings. On your fingers. After dipping them in the Nutella jar, one at a time. Mmmmmmmm.
Happy World Nutella Day 2007!
I heard a rumor that the USA Nutella was different. Good thing I will be in Rome in a couple of weeks. I must bring some back.
I’m lucky enough to live by the Canadian border. You know the Canadians are more like Europeans than Americans, and so their Nutella is closer to the REAL THING (sorry Coke!).
Not only is it sweeter, but it’s firmer-at-room-temperature texture is due to the fact that they’re using hyrdogenated oils! Why food makers are so obsessed with putting this poison into everything is beyond me. So not only is Nutella in the US not as good (I don’t like it at all), but it’s chock full of transfats as well!
I wish I had the foresight to buy a case of it when I was living in Paris…
Buon Italia, in NYC’s Chelsea Market, carries both types. The “vera Nutella” is more expensive, not surprisingly.
They do not show Nutella as an item available by mail order, but here’s the website anyway:
http://www.buonitalia.com/index.cfm/MenuItemID/66/MenuGroup/Home.htm
I’ll bet the vera Nutella is worth every lire (or however many kajillion lire used add up to a penny before the advent of the Euro). Thanks for the tip, I’ll probably make a pilgrimage the next time I’m in New York.
I’ve read the French nutella has trans fat too. I was just there and didn’t think to check the ingredients, but I found something online about it. Don’t know how reliable it is. The large jar of Italian Nutella at the Chelsea Market in NYC is $10.45. I fell in love with nutella crepes in Paris, so I think I’ll splurge on the transfat free kind. Then perhaps I can pretend it’s healthy???
Fellow (European) Nutella fans: My wife and & I were in Europe last summer. I ate Nutella just about every morning with my breakfast (Douwe Egberts coffee from Holland was incredible as well). When we returned home to the U.S. I couldn’t wait to try some Nutella from the cupboard. Much to my surprise it was not what I expected (even though we had been eating American Nutella for years)… when you’ve had the real thing and taste the American stuff you realize something is not quite right. I called Nutella in NJ (where American Nutella is made) to get some answers. Their answer: “We have no idea why it’s different… perhaps the European formula has something the FDA won’t allow in the U.S. , a safety issue perhaps.” A safety issue perhaps? In a country where nearly every commercial is for a prescription drug with a list of deadly side effects a mile long? I think not! If it caused cancer the FDA would most likely approve it in an effort to reduce the list of Social Security recipients. Anyway, enough politics… My fellow Nutella fans no need to suffer any longer. Go to germandeli.com and order the Austrian Nutella. It is a bit more expensive but it is a pretty big jar (750 grams). Customer service at Germandeli.com is the best, their shipping is very reasonable, and they take great care in how they pack your order… ENJOY!
This alien non Nutella, nutella available at your local supermarket is indeed an ‘inferior’ product, I read somewhere or perhaps saw on the food network that it is made with the same nuts though, imported from Europe.
Evrytime my kids come to visit or I go to Europe I try to remember to bring back a jar of the vera Nutella. There’s no really good alternative!
De Bruno Brothers carries the real Nutella
Yes, DiBruno’s has it! Vera Nutella within my very same zip code. Sometimes dreams do come true.
i live in the italian part of switzerland. we have in switzerland nutella made by the swiss or german factorys. going to italy to buy the italian made nutella, i have find a big difference. if you put the italian nutella in a refrigerator, it will become a “block”, impossible to be spreaded . if you buy the german or swiss nutella and you put it in the refrigerator, nothing happens, it still be spreadable and it seems more “oily”…
Yes, the real nutella is also sold in the Bronx, NY at the corner of 187th st. and Arthur Ave(little Italy). There is a new gourmet italian deli/everything you want from italy is sold there. Can’t remember the name though, but it’s next door to the park and the bank. I buy it there all the time, since my daughter visited Italy she refused to eat any other kind. It costs $7/8 large jar. Hope you find the store. I will write back if I remember.
I live in Canada and LOVE my Canadian Nutella, but after hearing this I’ve decided that it is my mission in life to try European Nutella.
I read your story about Nutella. I agree that European Nutella tastes much better than American Nutella. My daugther brought me two large European Nutella. The passport customer asked my daughter what food she brought. She said it is Nutella. The security said America has Nutella. Why do you bring to here from Europe? My daughter said, my mom said it is taste better than here. My european Nutella just finished. I brought American Nutella. It doesn’t taste right and not enjoyable. I want American Nutella do SAME ingrediate! Why American Nutella do different?
I know where to find Italian Nutella in Washington State. I don’t know about in Washington, DC.
We are a familly who has been consuming large quantity of Nutella almost every day .
We lived in USA 2 years and noticed a major difference in taste from Nutella coming from Canada in plastic jar instead of glass jar like we used to get in France. Nutella made in Canada
has a ’soap’ taste and has nothing to do with the quality of the one we got in France , made in Italy I guess.
We then stop buying Nutella in US and managed time to time to get some jars in our suitcase from trip to France!
We just moved to UK and again we are very desapointed that Sainsbury’s is selling Nutella made in Canada !!! what a shame exporting Nutella from Canada for EU market … not very environment friendly…
whats soo funny is the fda ..says for safety issues they can sell or make european nutella ..lol..americans put cornsyrup in all of their sweets now that isnt allowed in europe …bovine growth hormone in milk not allowed in europe and transfats arent allowed anylonger either ….so let those american companies not fool you this is about making a cheaper inferior product hoping that americans taste buds are bad enough…to not taste the difference ..does not matter what you buy here bread is sorry milk is sorry yoghurt is sorry hot dogs are sorry …if you eat a vienna sausage in europe you will never touch a hot dog again…americans need to demand decent tasting food …as long as they buy little nasty debbie pies and thing they had pastry …i understand why corporations hose the hell out of them
The Nutella sold in the US is made in Canada and distributed by Ferrero USA in NJ. Oh I miss my Italian Nutella: less sugar, creamier and more flavourful.
I guess I’ll check the few Italian deli in Little Italy (San Diego).