World Nutella Day

What the day is

World Nutella Day is observed on February 5. It was started in 2007 by an American blogger living in Italy, entirely independently of the manufacturer.

Origin and background

The day's own history is instructive. It grew through fan enthusiasm for several years until 2013, when the company sent a legal notice demanding the founder take the site down over trademark use. The reaction was severe enough that the company reversed course within days, apologized publicly, and subsequently took the day over with the founder's blessing. It is a reasonably well-known case study in how not to respond to unpaid enthusiasts.

The product came out of scarcity. Cocoa was expensive and in short supply in Italy after the Second World War, and a confectioner in Piedmont extended what little he had with hazelnuts, which the region grows in quantity. The original was a solid loaf to be sliced onto bread; the spreadable version followed, and the modern formulation and name arrived in the 1960s.

That origin still shows in the recipe. The spread is not chocolate with nuts added. Hazelnuts and sugar dominate, with cocoa present in a relatively modest proportion, which is the opposite of what most people assume they are eating.

The palm oil in it has drawn sustained criticism over deforestation, and the company has responded by publishing sourcing and committing to certified supply, which remains contested by campaigners. Palm oil is used because it is semi-solid at room temperature without hydrogenation, which is what keeps the spread smooth and stops it separating.

How to take part

• Try it the original way, on plain bread rather than anything elaborate.
• Read the ingredient order and notice what is actually first.
• Make a hazelnut spread from scratch once. Toasted hazelnuts blend to a paste on their own.
• Look into the sourcing question and decide where you stand on it.
• Read what happened in 2013, which is a genuinely useful lesson for any brand.