Inspiration

Nutella's Surprising Origin Story

Because #WorldNutellaDay is a real thing.
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Though Nutella nowadays is treated as somewhat of an indulgence, the popular hazelnut-cocoa spread was actually borne out of wartime hardship, when it was developed in 1946 by Italian baker Pietro Ferrero as a cheaper alternative to chocolate. A riff on pasta gianduja, a chocolate paste invented in Turin during Napoleon's rule (1796-1814, in case you don't have a history book handy) Ferrero's initial creation was something of a chocolate block that could be cut and sandwiched between slices of bread—economical, certainly, but not so appealing. The slab was eventually made spreadable, and the first jar of Nutella left the factory on April 20, 1964. The rest, they say, is history.

Today, Nutella is the subject of food fandom and worldwide devotion—my own household included. Found on anything from polenta pancakes to—yep—pizza, the spread seemingly knows no limits. Statistically and financially, it's also a marvel: In 2013, you could reportedly circle the globe 1.4 times with the amount of Nutella produced; and in the beginning of 2015, one jar of Nutella was sold, worldwide, every 2.5 seconds. To make the spread comprising sugar, palm oil, hazelnut, cocoa solids, and skimmed milk, the Ferrero Group uses approximately 25 percent of the global supply of hazelnuts.

And though the world has no shortage of idiosyncratic "holidays," World Nutella Day is actually a real thing. Founded by American blogger Sara Rosso on February 5, 2007, the celebration is now managed by Ferrero and has become a global phenomenon. Want to celebrate the big day? Check out the Facebook page to share your story, or just take the easy route and slather Nutella on everything you eat. That's what we're doing, anyway.