The nougat and divinity quest
I can’t eat chocolate because it gives me migraines—alas—but I’ve always had a passion for nougat, particularly the kind that’s usually made in Italy or France. This brand is relatively easy to find, and it’s pretty darn tasty. But I like other kinds better, and they can be more difficult to locate, although (strangely enough) T.J. Maxx is often a good source.
Go figure.
About twenty-five years ago my husband, teenage son, and I went to France. We were driving somewhere (in Provence, I think) and came across a place called Chez Nougat (translation: Nougat House).
No, it wasn’t a dream, but it was the fulfillment of a dream. An entire store—a very large store, at that—filled with all kinds of nougat. Plain. Flavored. With nuts of all kinds. With fruit of all kinds. Hard. Soft. In-between. I can’t even remember all the variations worked on the nougat theme, but I still remember my intense joy and excitement.
And I still think about Chez Nougat sometimes, although an internet search has failed to locate anything of the sort. Is it gone from this earth? That possibility makes me sad.
In the meantime, I used to repeatedly try my hand at making something called divinity fudge, which is a nougat-y confection that is fiendishly difficult to make. In all my efforts, I only succeeded one memorable time, and I have no idea why that batch worked when a thousand others failed.
I long ago stopped trying to make divinity. I did buy it once somewhere and it was a disappointment; nothing like the wonderfulness of nougat, which it is supposed to greatly resemble.
Recently, in a nougat reverie, I started wondering what is the exact difference between nougat and divinity (as no doubt you’ve wondered too; hasn’t everybody?). I came across this article. If you take a look, you’ll realize that candy-makers are obsessives, as well as why I stopped trying to make any of the stuff. What a process!
neo, could this be them? Maison du Nougat
And they offer international shipping.
Recently, in a nougat reverie,
I take it that, in your meatspace life, you are an easy 85 out of 100 on the girly-girl scale. Megan McArdle has confessed to that about herself and once admitted to owning 30 pairs of shoes. Can you top that?
Put me down for the Maison du Nougut too
http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/en/museum/palais-bonbons-et-nougat-montelimar
Geoffrey, I looked at the nougat facebook site and it looked fantastic! The only problem (but blessing for my waistline and wallet) is that I could not locate the website address for ordering (though it does say shipping anywhere and they take paypal).
Art Deco:
My response to Megan is: only 30?
I’m girly-girly in some ways and not in others. I certainly like clothes and makeup, although I don’t think I go overboard. And of course, there’s my penchant for this sort of TV show on occasion.
To me, 30 pairs of shoes is hardly overboard. I tend to keep my shoes for a long, long time. Just as an example, although I don’t get dressed up that often, I’ve probably got about 6 or 7 pairs of evening shoes at least. One thing about shoes is that you don’t outgrow them as easily as clothing. For me, because of my back problems, my feet are quite touchy and when I find a pair of shoes that works I sometimes get them in various colors, and I keep them as long as possible.
Or this video of what seems to be the fountain of nougat:”
(11) The history and the manufacture of the Nougat of Mont駘imar, Chabert and Guillot – YouTube
Those other nougat places are encouraging and I’m happy that they exist and will take a look. But they are not Chez Nougat, which was an enormous store (free-standing, on a highway somewhere in Provence rather than in a city). Chez Nougat probably had, conservatively speaking, at least a hundred varieties and probably more.
Chez Nougat rings a bell with me too. I was in France (all over it) in 1995. I’m not a sweets or candy guy but I seem to recall seeing such a place though I can’t recall going inside.
My next door neighbor is from Sicily, and he has gifted us some truly magical torrone from his home in Messina. The Spanish version (turron) is similar and also delicious. 1880 seems to be the brand of choice in Spain:
https://www.tienda.com/products/turron-candy-duet-1880-tr-15.html
Italian grocery stores often carry La Florentine brand. When I was a child, my grandmother’s neighbor gave us this torrone in tiny boxes whenever we visited (I guess I have been fortunate when it comes to Italian neighbors):
https://torronecandy.com/products/la-florentine-torrone-almond-nougat-candy-18-assorted-pieces?variant=311347063&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv5my3Za22wIVhAOGCh1vqQPaEAQYASABEgKmK_D_BwE
Around the holidays, I keep an eye out for torrone at TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Home Goods (all owned by the same corporation) and often hit it lucky.
Neo – have you looked into that new migraine drug that was announced recently. I think it was Amgen and another company that announced the product. And, they announced a “cheaper” price than most expected.
Liz:
If I stay away from my migraine triggers such as chocolate (there are a few others, like peanuts), I probably have about 4 or 5 migraines a year. I wouldn’t qualify for taking a drug every single day with that sort of situation, just in order to eat chocolate. And I wouldn’t want to take a drug every day if I can help it–I already take enough medications as it is. The other drugs—the ones you take when you have a migraine already—are contraindicated for me.
CV:
I prefer the Ferrara to the Florentine brand, although I probably never met a nougat I didn’t like.
That Spanish stuff looks very good.
I once was in Argentina, and the nougat there was good, too.
Neo,
Perhaps the store was “Chez Nougat Tolleron au Crestet”? Their website certainly lists an awful lot of nougat varieties and they seem to be located in the vicinity of Provence.
https://www.nougat-tolleron.fr/produits/nougat/
Here are just some varieties that are available:
-Agrumes
-Epices du monde
-Chataigne
-Abricot
-Chocolat noir et blanc
-Miel amandes
-Cerise
-Cali Chocolat
-Royal
-Cacachuette
-Speculos
-Romarin
-Pulpe de fraise
-Fleurs de thym
-Marzipan
-Chocolat
-Cranberries
-Myrtille
-Chanvre
-Pistache douce
Never a fan of nougat, too sticky and sweet; long time fan of dark chocolate. There is no accounting for taste. To each his own. BTW, allergic to chocolate is a sad state of affairs. Poor, poor pithifull allergicto chocolate people.
Divinity is, or at least was, a Southern thing. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I would never mistake neo for a Southerner.
I’m not either, but I lived a good slice of my life in the South and retain affection for the people and their ways. I never caught the fire for divinity myself. It sounded better than it tasted.
A post on those who want to get after the devil, followed by one on the quest for divinity.
I tried not to comment, but today is Sunday, so I took the bait.
What does it all mean? Mixing politics, religion, Shakespeare, and candy. I’m reeling.
Most interesting, I like all sorts of sweet stuff in moderation and remember home made divinity, some nougat specialties but most of all, back in the 1950’s when I was a kid my mom made meringues.
I had forgotten about the humidity factor and had no idea the ingredients were similar in all of these good things. I was kind of well treated at time and mom knew how much I liked eating her meringues as cookies instead of waiting for her to make her lemon custard fill and she would make an extra batch just for me. It seems there is an art to making the crunchy, crispy outer shell with the slightly chewy inside.
Thank you Neo for a forgotten memory from long ago days. I also remember living in Europe where the candies Irene mentions above were so different from the processed packaged American products.
Just an Old Texan, on of your many followers and thank you.
Google maps with “Nougat Tolleron france” has many good photos inside the store as well as of the front and road. If it is the place it should be identifiable.
Well, before today I was completely ignorant of the fact that there is such a thing as nougat. Will have to give it a try, though I’m not much a sweets guy.
How did I get so old and not hear about this before now? 😉
I’m late to this candy party, but…
Zasu Pitts, was known to her fellow Hollywoodites as a terrific candymaker as well as a fine character actress. Among the recipes in her 1960s candy cookbook was one for nougat. It’s available at abebooks.com, but the price is now over $40 for the least expensive one. I got a copy early this year for under $4. A divinity recipe is in this book, too. Should you be interested, I’d be happy to email you the recipe(s). If you decide you want to buy the book, look under the title, Candy Hits, by Zasu Pitts.