Sweet, viscous mass, which smells aromatically with nuts - this is the eastern sweetness of nougat. However, the historical belonging of this sweetness to the East is being questioned. Homeland of the nougat is Southern Europe. The nearest relatives of nougat are Persian gas and the Spanish turron. But the true nougat has its own aristocratic character - not every honeycomb and walnut fits the dessert. Prepare nougat at home quickly, but very troublesome, but the result is worth it, as it captivates its aroma and taste.
What is nougat
Nougat (French word Nougat) is a viscous sweet mass made from sugar or honey, egg whites and nuts. The very word "nougat" comes from the Latin word "nux" - a nut.
To prepare a classic nougat take almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts or walnuts, peanuts in this case is not used. The consistency of dessert is always different - it can be light and airy, and maybe steep and hard, it all depends on the quality and quantity of investment.
If desired, natural flavorings can be added to nougat - chocolate, lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon, dried fruit, cardamom and candied fruit. Two species of nougat are widely distributed - brown and white.
As a part of the white nougat there is egg white, it is more light in consistency. At the heart of brown nougat lies caramelized sugar, in consistency it is hard and crunchy. Sweet nougat is used not only as an independent dessert, but also as a filling for chocolate bars, sweets, cakes, wafers.
History of origin of nougat
French dessert is rooted in European cuisine, although there are suggestions that the home of the nougat is the Middle East. Probably, nougat came to us from Persia, for example, a variety of nougat gas is widespread in modern Iran. Nougat is traditionally produced in Spain (called "turrón"), in France (in Montélimar), in Italy (in Cremona) and in Belgium. In southern Europe, they learned about nougat in the 15th century, and this delicacy still occupies an honorable place on the Christmas table.
In the US, nougat is found in the famous bars "Nuts" and "Mars", but the recipe for nougat in these chocolates is far from the classics, as it includes peanuts, corn syrup and gelatin.
In Soviet shops, nougat-tinuchka (Russian nougat) was sold unevenly sliced with nuts, which were wrapped in ordinary parchment. Currently, Russia does not find such delicacies.
Nougat composition and its beneficial properties
It is known that children are the most inveterate sweet tooth, because in the diet of a child there is definitely a certain dessert, including nougat.
The composition of white nougat includes protein, which is necessary for normal development and growth, honey including mineral salts, fruit acids, essential oils, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids and other substances that have healing power. In such a variety, nougat does not contain harmful ingredients. In addition, nougat is an excellent source of energy, since it contains a large amount of carbohydrates. And children always need energy for growth, prose and knowledge of the world! Of course, every child will enjoy a piece of French delicacy, and positive emotions, as you know, are the key to the development of a full-fledged personality.
Harm to nougat
No matter how tasty it is, the nougat, but its daily use harms. First of all, teeth suffer because, because of lactic acid, the acid-base balance is disturbed in the oral cavity. Sugar is also accumulated between the cleanings, and it forms a favorable environment for bacteria, as a result of which the tooth enamel becomes thinner and develop caries.
Caloric content of nougat is 400 kcal per 100 grams, so excessive eating of this delicacy can lead to obesity. Excessive eating of sweet harms the gastrointestinal tract - causes dysbacteriosis. Also, the aging process of cells is accelerated, the reproduction of bacteria of the epidermis is provoked, and for the skin this means the appearance of acne.
A large number of sweets overload the baby's liver, as a result of an allergic reaction - diathesis. The constant carbohydrate load leads to the development of diabetes mellitus and pancreatitis.