Nougat de Montelimar

Nougat de Montelimar refers to French nougat which is made from almonds, pistachios, honey and egg whites. It is soft, chewy, sticky and rich with nutty flavor. French nougat candy has its origins in the Orient many thousands of years ago when honey and nuts were first combined and France has been making its own version for many hundreds of years. In the 17th century, near Montelimar in the south of France, Olivier de Serres began growing almond trees and using the nuts along with honey to make his nougat which is now called Nougat de Montelimar . Over the years, the recipe for the candy changed to include egg whites to make this nougat candy more airy and light. These days the Nougat de Montelimar is sanctioned by an AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controlee) - a product that marks itself with the appellation must contain a minimum of 30 percent almonds or 28 percent almonds and 2 percent pistachios and 25 percent honey. This French candy is featured as one of the thirteen (13) desserts at Christmas eve celebrations in Provence, but it is available all year round in southern France.