When was nutella introduced in the us

We're actually strangely into this idea. After Pietro passed away, his son, Michele, took over the family business and created the modern-day version of Nutella—you know, the one that comes in a jar, not a loaf. He died in , but his son, Giovanni, had already slid into the role of CEO.

Talk about a chocolate dynasty. They weren't actually taxing the chocolatey treat. Instead, they went after palm oil, one of its most commonly used ingredients. Citing the fact that extreme demand for palm oil has resulted in rainforest deforestation farmers are clearing it out to make room for palm tree plantations , the government wanted to slap a big surtax on imported palm oil. Under pressure from other countries, they've had to reduce the tax to almost 10 percent of what they originally proposed.

It may be fair to say that the spread has more run-ins with the law in France than anywhere else. In , a court in France refused to allow a couple to name their daughter Nutella. Instead, she's called Ella. In just over 50 years since its official humble beginnings in Italy, Nutella's become an international household name—it is available in countries. In , Ferrero was slammed with a class-action lawsuit over the advertising language which claimed that Nutella was part of a healthy breakfast.

The first ingredient is sugar, and it doesn't get much better from there. And there you have it: Nutella has taken over the US. Coffee Tea Perfect for when you're Too Sober See All Drinks. Dining Hall Dorm Lyfe Perfect for when you're Now the brand is expanding beyond the supermarket shelves. Ferrero has opened Nutella Cafes - one in Chicago and one in New York - where it sells pastries and other treats featuring the famous spread.

At the Chicago outpost which opened in December, wait times can be up to an hour. On Monday, Ansel's stuffed Cronut holes are creating their own lines. People started lining up as early as 9am to get a taste. This is how everything started. Spreadability meant that a small amount went a long way, helping to break down the perception that chocolate was, as Giovanni puts it, "only for very special occasions and celebrations like Christmas and Easter".

It could also be eaten with bread, which formed a big part of the diet at the time. People who never ate chocolate got the Supercrema habit. But it was Pietro's son, Michele Ferrero, who turned it into Nutella, relaunching it with its now famously secret recipe and iconic glass jar.

His father was a man obsessed, says Giovanni, just like his grandfather. And it was not just an Italian success but a European success. The name gave the product instant international appeal. It said nuts. It also said Italy - "-ella" being a common affectionate or diminutive ending in Italian, as in mozzarella cheese , tagliatella a form of pasta , or caramella Italian for a sweet. Fifty years on, Nutella is a global phenomenon, produced in 11 factories worldwide, and accounting for one fifth of the Ferrero Group's turnover, along with other products such as Kinder and Ferrero Rocher chocolates.

But how did one brand of hazelnut chocolate spread manage to creep its way into so many kitchen cupboards for a full five decades? Roberta Sassatelli, associate professor of cultural sociology at Milan University and author of Consumer Culture, says initially Nutella was the epitome of a "pop lux" popular luxury for Italians.