Years ago I came home from Belgium with a jar of Nutella.
Spreadable chocolate. What’s not to love?
Well, if you’re allergic to nuts, that’s a problem, as hazelnuts are an ingredient blended into the creamy chocolate. But if you like hazelnuts, and hazelnuts agree with you, and you love chocolate and want to justify eating it for every meal, then you must try Nutella.
Fifteen years ago, when we first started shoving jars of Nutella into our suitcases amongst our socks and T-shirts to bring them home from our trips overseas, no one here had heard of the stuff. Times are changing, however, and word is spreading: a few years ago, Nutella started showing up in the specialty section of one of our fancier supermarkets.
Eventually, it found a spot on the top shelf of the peanut butter and jelly section of a few supermarkets in town. Now it’s a regular, next to squeezable plastic bear-shaped honey jars and the Goober spread—you know that combination jar of peanut butter and grape jelly swirled together? Nutella is right there, wedged between them, on the shelf of “non-peanut-butter-and-jelly-stuff-people-spread-on-bread.”
It appears that Americans have finally caught on: like peanut butter, jelly, apple butter, and Goober,
Nutella is a spread. For bread.
Or cookies.
But I can understand why the grocery store manager wasn’t entirely sure where to place the jars, because Nutella is also delicious as a dip for bananas or apples or any fruit that would be good in a fondue.
Or plain cookies or graham crackers.It’s terrific inside crepes.
Or when you just need something to carry the Nutella to your mouth, I suppose you could just use a cracker.
The Boy sometimes uses a spoon to shovel it in. When no one’s looking, he dips in his finger (we can tell from the indentation—and the slivers of chocolate stuck under his fingernail).
But Nutella is still a little overpriced for me to pick it up every single time we run out. Most places, it runs about $3.99, and that’s a little steep for a small jar.
Choice #1 is to use it more conservatively (and hide it from The Boy and his finger).
Choice #2 is to shout “Carpe diem!” and dig in, spreading to our hearts’ and stomachs’ content. When it’s gone, it’s gone; and we wait until we find it on sale. This is what I usually do.
Choice #3 is to hint to family members that Nutella is a favorite. I must have done this without meaning to, and here’s one story to illustrate.
One day for my middle daughter’s birthday, we met my mom and dad at a restaurant for brunch. After our yummy pancakes, Mom gave the birthday girl her gifts and then passed out some bags to the non-birthday girls, including me. Inside a plastic bag: Nutella. Two jars of Nutella!
Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyou, Mom. I shoved them back in the bag and whisked them off to the car. We were in a rush to get to the house of my daughter’s new school friend. Her mom had invited us over for lunch. I told her I’d bring apples and caramel dip. We said our good-byes to my parents in the drizzly rain and raced to the grocery store. I grabbed a bag and filled it with Gala apples and snatched up a tub of caramel dip. On the way to my daughter’s classmate’s house, I said, “I think I bought too many Galas to take in. Can you separate those into two bags—one to take in, and one that we’ll keep for home?”
“Sure,” one of the daughters replied.
“Stick the caramel dip in the one we’re taking inside,” I said.
“Okay, no problem,” she answered. Then she suggested, “Why don’t we take in a jar of Nutella to share? It’s great with apples.”
I gasped. “What? That’s our Nutella!” I replied in a panic. “We bought the caramel dip to share. The Nutella’s for us.”
We drove a short distance in silence, listening to the windshield wipers swipe, swipe, swipe. Finally, the eldest spoke up. “Isn’t that a little selfish? I mean, don’t you think we should share?”
The other one added, “We have two jars.”
“One for us, and one to share,” the third proposed.
I hate it when they’re right. “Yes, yes. You’re right. We should share.”
“Maybe they’ve never tasted Nutella before. Maybe we’ll introduce them to something new that they’ll love.”
“All right already. You’re right. We need to share the Nutella. I just hope they don’t eat the whole jar.”
Feeling morally superior—and rightly so—the eldest added, “It’s the right thing to do. Even if they eat it all.”
I sighed. She had me. “I know you’re right,” I said. But I wanted to be honest. I mean, they need to know that it’s hard for adults to do the right thing, too, don’t they? So I admitted, “It’s just that I want all the Nutella.” She grinned and placed a hand on my shoulder. “It’ll be fine, Mom. You’re doing the right thing.”
“I’ll carry it in,” offered the other. So we took in the jar of Nutella and the caramel dip and I explained to our hosts what Nutella was. They were curious but a little apprehensive (how can you be apprehensive about spreadable chocolate?). I urged them to sample it. When my girls heard me, they both looked up with wide eyes and encouraging smiles.
“Oh, that’s nice,” said the mom. “Kids you should try this chocolate dip that Mrs. Kroeker brought.” The kids hesitated. “It’s chocolate! Try it!”Even though my girls were piling it on, the other kids all took the tiniest little smidgen onto their apple slices, as if they were being asked to sample spinach dip or an eggplant spread. They quickly return to the familiar caramel dip.
I was shocked.
And relieved.
When we packed up to leave, I can’t remember if I offered to leave the jar or not—I hope I did, because that would have been the right thing to do. But I did somehow end up with it back in my stuff and on its way to my cupboard…and onto my slices of French bread.
My daughter was right, though. When you’re given two jars of Nutella, you should be willing to share. Or, what was it Jesus said? If someone wants your jar of Nutella, let him have it and the other jar you hid under your tunic, as well? Something like that.
I am, however, certain that He said, “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
Even if it’s Nutella.
Doggone it. Following Jesus can be such a sacrifice sometimes.
You really ought to try Nutella sometime. Top shelf. Next to the Goober.
Or, if you come over, I’ll share. I promise.
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Ann, this is great! (And I’m going grocery shopping after I log off this morning…I’ll look for the Nutella!) See, you’re raising your girls beautifully, training them up in the ways of the Lord, and then it comes back to bite you!!! lol
Seriously, what a wonderful statement it makes about your mothering (imperfect as you may be) that your girls came up with this bit on sharing the Nutella. Keep it up!
BTW, I’ll update the link on my blog to send readers to your new site…And, I gave in. I’m a “New Blogger” now!
Blessings,
Karen
Nutella! You introduced me to Nutella all those years ago in your kitchen on Pawnee drive. I love that stuff and I love that I can find it on the shelves here in Missouri now. It gives me hope … can Chokotoff be that far away?
This is Mom. You told me about Nutella years ago, but like those others, I was hesitant about trying it. So I didn’t get around to it until after my last trip to Italy (2002) when one of the other travelers was raving about finding Nutella gelato! When I got home, I did try a sample and like most others, fell in love with it…melted in the microwave it is great with ice cream, but (thinking of that gelato) doesn’t mix well in a milkshake! Just thought I’d mention that!
Karen–So glad you found me at this new location! How was the transition to NEW Blogger? Also, I thought you would find it amusing that my kids marked their personal jars of Christmas Nutella very clearly in permanent Sharpie letters with messages like, “So-and-So’s DO NOT TOUCH” and “Thus-n-So’s Nutella: Go Find Your Own.” So much for sharing! 🙂
Jenne–Can you imagine what would happen if Americans got a taste of Chokotoff? You and I alone could keep their export expenses in the black!
Mom–I never thought of the ice cream application. Yum! Nutella is made in Italy, so you may have been eating it at its freshest when you were there, straight from the factory, perhaps? And the Italian relatives told me that on their own trips to Italy, they’ve bought and brought back gargantuan jars of Nutella so huge they ought to be called vats. In Belgium supermarkets, I think they sell two sizes larger than the one we get here, but not the mammoth vat. Wouldn’t that be nice? We could just leave it on the counter and simply scoop at will. Mmm….
I did see a huge jar of Nutella, but it was in Vienna–not really all that far from Italy. But it was in the hotel where we had breakfast and I never got to a store there. But I knew the girls would have loved it!
In Italy, I didn’t get the straight Nutella, or really any at all. It was in the gelato (ice cream), but I learned about it too late to taste any. I ate a lot of other gelato, though!
Hmmm….gelato of any flavor, or a big jar of Nutella. I wonder which I would choose?
Probably Nutella.
But I’d give it all up for a big bag of Chokotoff…
(Mom, you may have never been given a sample of Chokotoff to try…I was probably not sharing. Either that, or it was gone by the time you came over to visit. It doesn’t last long in the house. And don’t let Steve Fromm near it, or you’re sunk.)
Note to Jenne: Find a better hiding place.
I love your honesty! You might as well let the kids see that it’s hard to share sometimes (but you do it anyway). I’m glad you still got to bring the bottle home where it could be appreciated most.
I got addicted to Nocilla (Spain’s version of Nutella) when I lived in Europe many years ago. All my friends had it for lunch spread on hard bread. In Spain there was also a half white/half chocolate version that is to die for but I haven’t seen it imported yet around here. I can’t wait.
Julie–Mmmmmm. I like all this talk of Nutella! I’m trying to remember if I saw that bi-colored version in Belgium? I know I saw one that had banana mixed in somehow, and it looked like what you’re describing. But I just bought the normal kind and if I want banana flavoring, I just spread Nutella on my bread and slice banana on top.
But now I want to try your “to die for” variation! Maybe if we write enough e-mails to the Ferrero company in Italy? My husband’s nephew speaks a little Italian. I’m sure he could translate a note that reads, “Pleaseohpleaseohplease export the half-white/half-chocolate version to the States! Please? Pretty please?”
I absolutly loved reading this one. I was laughing a lot but I love how it turned into a “lesson” to learn. That Nutella sounds very appealing. I wonder if they sell it where I live? I will be on the prowl now.
Wouldn’t it be interesting to discover in what regions of the country Nutella is selling? Oh, I hope you have it. It’s such a delicious treat. It *should* just be for dessert, but we can’t resist–we come up with any excuse to spread Nutella on something edible, any time of day, for any reason.
how could you friends not like nutella? there’s nothing i like more than scooping it out with my paws and making nutella biscuit sandwiches! yum!
love
bear
xxx
I bet Jesus likes Nutella, too.
Found this blog while I was looking for an image of Nutella. Love love love the stuff. Grew up in Belgium and ate it by the spoonfuls as my after-school snack. Don’t eat it quite as often now that I’m an adult and living in the States and have to pay for it myself, at over $3 a jar. But am in Germany right now where it’s usually only a little over 1 Euro. Even better, a local store had it on sale this weekend for 99 cents (which is $1.45US)! I did not buy enough!
By the way, another fantastic way to eat it that hasn’t been mentioned yet: on pretzels. We especially like to use the pretzel sticks because then you can still scoop it up when the jar is almost empty without getting your hand all messy. Only problem is if your Nutella isn’t soft enough – you’ll probably break a bunch of your sticks trying to scoop it out then. There’s just something about that sweet luscious Nutella on the salty pretzel stick. Yum yum yum!!!
Both Italy and France sell a 3kg (yes 6 pounds) jar of Nutella. Not sure for Italy but in France it’s only around Christmas.
I don’t like Nutella in the US. It just doesn’t taste the same and I’m always disapointed. I want my European one!
(and I came here because I was looking for a picture too)
You almost have me convinced! almost… We have a crepe man at our Farmers Market..and he claims it’s one of his best sellers. I really like your blog, can’t wait to visit more…Amie
Do you think the Americanized version of Nutella is a good as the European kind? It’s different ya know… look at the ingredient list. I’ve never tired the Euro kind… I’m still in love with Nutella — I get it by the GINORMOUS TUB x 2 from Costco (ya have to… they are wrapped together) … just wondering… is it different?
Oh… just read the responses… what about on Brownies? Ever tried that? Spread it on warm brownies… it melts a bit… spread it some more. DELISH!!
There are 2 different recipes for nutella here in Europe : the northern one which is sold in Germany and the north of Europe is darker and more solid than the one sold in France and Italy.
Didnt realise there was two different types!