National Nougat Day on March 26th celebrates a soft and chewy or sometimes hard and crunchy candy often found at the center of a candy bar. 

Made by whipping egg whites together and adding honey or sugar, roasted nuts, and sometimes candied fruit, some say nougat has been a sweet treat since ancient Rome. Enjoyed both as a candy all on its own or paired with chocolate or other flavorings.

Recipes range from the more traditional nougat made with almonds and honey to those with hints of citrus.In Italy, they call it torrone. In Spain, a nougat is called turrón. The United States has a version made with corn syrup called divinity.

Three basic kinds of nougats include:

1.     White nougat – made with beaten egg whites and honey.
2.     Brown nougat – made without egg whites and has a firmer, often crunchy texture.
3.     Viennese or German nougat – chocolate and nut praline

In the United States, modern candy bar makers use a different recipe than the traditional nougat. Today they make of a mixture of sucrose and corn syrup aerated with a whipping agent such as egg white or hydrolyzed soy protein or gelatin. It is the preferred and often used ingredient of large candy companies because it is inexpensive to make and used as a filler.

Varieties of nougat are found in:
3 Musketeers, Mars, Snickers, Milky Way, Zero, Salted Nut Rolls, Reese’s Fast Break, Reese’s Whipps, Baby Ruth, and others.

More to explore…

• National Candy Month
• Chocolate
• Milk Chocolate Day
• World Chocolate Day
• National Carmel Month
• National Nougat Day
• English Toffee Day
• Butterchrunch Day
• Salt Water Taffy Day
• National Candy Cane Day
• National Truffles Day
• National Jelly Beans  Day
• Chocolate Mints
• Candied Orange Peel Day
• Peanut Clusters Day
• National Gum Drops Day
• Chocolate Covered Cherries
• Chocolate Covered Everything
• Peppermint Patties Day
• Hard Candy Day
• NationalCotton Candy Day
• National Candy Day
• Trick or Treat
• National Candy Corn Day
• Sweetest Day
• Sour Candy Day
• Lollipop Day
• Peanut Brittle Day
• Trail Mix Day

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalNougatDay

This holiday offers an opportunity to become a nougat aficionado. Or perhaps try learning the nuances of nougat. No matter how you spend the day, be sure to get a sample or two. Whether it’s a big bite or small, enjoy some nougats. Be sure to share a piece, too! Use #NationalNougatDay to post on social media.