Is German Nutella Different?( Real Facts)

Is German Nutella Different?

The Nutella that you know and love is not German. An Italian pastry chef named Pietro Ferrero invented it, but it became popular in Germany.

The ingredients for this creamy chocolate hazelnut spread are like the original recipe with one significant difference.

Instead of using cocoa powder, Germans use more roasted hazelnuts.This gives their version a distinctive taste and texture. But, Is German Nutella Different?

Yes! It’s a little sweeter,creamier, darker and color-rich with a higher cocoa content than American Nutella. The European recipe for Nutella contains more cocoa powder and less milk powder.

The significant difference in taste comes from the sugar content, which differs because Germany taxes sugar at a much higher rate than America.

It’s a bit more expensive too and cost about 30-50 cents a jar.

The tall and skinny 500g jars are the same prices as in America, but the 100g jars are a little pricier to account for taxes, labor, and shipping.

So far, I haven’t been able to find any grocery store that carries it in bulk bins or from their regular stock.

That means you have to get your jar before its sell-by date because trying to ask someone at the check-out will lead to confusion.

This will be whether they sell it outside of specialty stores and family-owned groceries since most people don’t know what it is.

Unless there has been a price drop because of more brands becoming available, it’s about $2.50 for the small jar and $3.75 for the big jar in most stores I’ve checked so far.

The expiration dates on European Nutella are like American Nutella: “2021 SE 21”.

Meaning it expires February 14th, 2021 (I guess they don’t believe in Hallmark holidays over there).

They also sometimes state “2021 DE 13” or “2021 DK 21”, meaning global production of Ferrero products ceases at midnight on the last day of December 2021.

It doesn’t resume until February 2021 – enough time to ship jars from Europe to global retailers and stock their shelves by mid-February 2021.

Does Nutella Taste Like Chocolate?

No! Nutella does not taste like chocolate. It’s sweeter than chocolate, and the flavor is more similar to that of roasted hazelnuts.

There are however, several brands of chocolate-flavoured hazelnut spread out there. It’s not clear whether they intended these to taste like Nutella.

In the 1940s, Pietro Ferrero invented Nutella. He was a pastry maker and founder of the Ferrero Company.

It’s composed mainly of sugar and palm oil, and hazelnuts.

Wikipedia has mentioned neither cocoa nor any other chocolate ingredients on the label or ingredients list.

Instead, the product’s website describes it as “chocolate-flavoured hazelnut spread.”

Despite its lack of chocolate flavorings, Nutella’s taste has a market as that of chocolate.

The company website states it tastes like “childhood,” There have been multiple television commercials that state that it tastes “chocolate deliciously”

However, Nutella’s actual ingredients do not appear to back up these claims.

Does German Nutella Have Palm Oil?

No! German Nutella does not contain palm oil like American Nutella does.

It has hydrogenated or fractionated palm and coconut oil besides cocoa butter. American Nutella contains palm oil and cocoa butter.

The processing of cocoa beans can cause an oily substance to form on the surface of the mass.

This substance, known as chocolate liquor, comprises cocoa butter mixed with solids and other fats like palm oil (American) or hydrogenated palm and coconut oil (German).

Chocolate liquor contains no alcohol. The name derives from its similarity in color to actual alcohol.

Since it does not taste delightful, it needs processing into a consumer product immediately after production.

In American Nutella, all ingredients are on the label except for Palm Oil (palm kernel oil).

Some people suggest that this means there is no palm oil in American Nutella.

However, they cannot consider other ingredients in the product, such as cocoa butter.

These ingredients contribute to the consistency of Nutella but do not make it a precise ingredient.

Palm oil may make up a small portion of the chocolate base, while most fat is simply part of the cocoa butter fraction.

It’s important to note that German Nutella contains hydrogenated or fractionated palm and coconut oil besides cocoa butter.

This means that hydrogenated/fractionated palm and coconut oil are two different ingredients, not just one combined ingredient listed by its common name (palm oil).

The word “hydrogenated” or “fractionated” shows that no trans-fatty acids exist in this product, known to increase cholesterol.

Does Nutella Taste Like Peanut Butter?

No, It doesn’t taste exactly like peanut butter but has a similar flavor profile to it.

It’s also made up of hazelnuts, cocoa powder, milk solids, vegetable oil, and sugar, so that makes up for its flavor difference from peanut butter.

Nutella is a hazelnut-based chocolate spread that was at first created in Italy in the 1940s. It’s now sold all over the world, and people love the taste of it.

The recipe for Nutella has a tight guard, but some recipes out there try to replicate its flavor.

Other brands make similar spreads like Jif, which is also made of peanuts, salt, and sugar.

You may think, “oh, that’s gross, I don’t want peanut butter,” but once you try it on toast or crackers, you’ll enjoy its flavor profile.

Why Nutella Got Banned in Europe

The ban of this tasty treat is because it contains palm oil which can be harmful to wildlife and humans if consumed in large quantities.

It’s not just the palm oil that raises red flags. There are also high levels of sugar and saturated fats found in Nutella, making it unhealthy for regular consumption.

Do All Nutella Jars Have A Knife?

Some Nutella jars come with knives, but some don’t. It depends on what jar size you buy and where you buy it.

For example, here in Germany, you get everything from small (125g) jars that do not come with a knife to bigger (500g) jars that do.

Note: I also saw smaller Nutella jars of 100g in Italy, even though they did not contain a knife.

You can still buy your knives made especially for Nutella online or at specialty kitchen stores.

However, this requires you to go shopping more often as they will not likely be in your local grocery store.

It’s also helpful to know that Nutella’s production and sales are worldwide.

I recommend you to do a little research on where you live before making any last purchases;

• No knives – 125g
• Knife included – 500g

Did Nutella Always Contain Palm Oil?

No! It turns out that in 2015, after receiving pressure from Greenpeace about high levels of deforestation caused by palm plantations.

Ferrero removed the ingredient from their products worldwide. Now they use sunflower seeds instead of palm oil for a non-GMO version of their hazelnut spread.

Back then, they made the spread with 13% palm oil. This ingredient helped turn an already yummy nut paste into something special.

The critical component of the hazelnut paste is fat, which is oleic acid (an omega-9 fatty acid).

This type of fat helps provide a smooth texture and makes the product melt when it hits your tongue.

It also prevents the water from separating from the fat, so you don’t have to stir it before using it.

Without the palm oil, the texture of Nutella is crumblier since it doesn’t have that oleic acid to bind everything together.

It’s also not as easy to spread without using a knife or an electric mixer, so you might need to warm it up in your hands first.

If you don’t want to give up your beloved Nutella but have worries about deforestation.

Ferrero has announced their commitment to source all its palm oil from sustainable plantations by 2020.

However, this won’t significantly change the price of their product. This is because they will continue to use the same amount of palm oil even after switching suppliers.

So now you know if you eat hazelnuts, sugar, and some cocoa powder for breakfast every morning.

Does Nutella Have A Hidden Spoon?

Yes!  The Nutella jar has a secret spoon. If you open the lid and look at the jar inside, a small plastic spout leads from the top to the bottom of the jar.

It’s not on purpose, but its design was with a “hidden” spoon in mind.

This unique design ensures that every bit of Nutella stays put inside its container to avoid waste when scooping out some for your toast or crepes.

However, the spoon has its limits. If you try to scoop out too much Nutella at once, it will just come out on top of all that is already in the jar.

But the secret spoon makes life easier for those who like to take their Nutella with them everywhere they go.

Also, many people use this spoon since it acts as an insulator for your fingers while taking a taste or two right from the jar.

If you don’t have any Nutella lying around (for shame), then here’s another way to get around finding one.

Cut off small pieces of plastic near where you would open the lid and tie them into a knot.

Make sure that part of yours will fit nicely into the spoon and form a circle with your fingers.

Then Nutella-toast, crepes, or pancakes just got that much more delicious.

Is European Nutella Different?

Yes! The Nutella that you know and love in the US differs from what Europeans enjoy.

European Nutella comprises hazelnuts from Turkey, while American Nutella has a higher percentage of sugar. The ingredients are mostly identical.

However, they differ in their manufacturing processes, primarily how much air gets mixed into the product when it’s whipped up before putting it in jars.

In Europe, less air goes in, which means more dense chunks of chocolate spread can show on top of the creamier mixture below.

There is more air whipped up in America, so there are fewer chunks to see on top of a lighter-looking chocolate spread.

People often argue that sugar in America is sweeter because our taste buds have gotten used to super-sweet things.

Hence, they adjust the formula to accommodate the tastes of an American audience.

Others believe it’s cheaper to have higher amounts of sugar for Nutella to be tasty with more marshmallows added to something like Rice Krispies Treats.

Chocolate makes everything better. So perhaps there is a bit of truth behind both arguments.

One reason European Nutella lovers might miss their hazelnutty chocolaty goodness has to do with where their product comes from- Turkey.

The economy in Turkey isn’t doing so great right now; meaningless hazelnuts are available (which also means that they’re more expensive since it costs more to produce them).

Americans get their hazelnuts from Oregon- it is not only the economy doing great there but also a high-quality product.

They make Nutella in factories, though, bringing us back to where ingredients are being sourced.

There have been a lot of problems with companies using cheaper alternatives that contain palm oil or skim milk powder instead of pure cocoa butter.

It’s much more affordable and easier to work with.

Nutella has received accusations of these things, which could be another reason the two products differ so widely from each other.

Conclusion

German Nutella, also known as Hazelnut Creamy Spread in the USA, is not American Nutella.

This post will help you understand what’s different about this spread and how it may affect your purchase decision.

The first difference between these two products is that Germans use palm oil instead of canola or vegetable oils for production.

Its linked to coronary heart disease because it increases cholesterol levels.

Next, many people think chocolate should be the key ingredient in any “Nutella-like” product, but no cocoa solids are present in German Nutella.

Other differences include more hazelnuts per jar (12%), less sugar content (~14%), and smaller jars than American counterparts.