Who doesn't love Nutella? I first had it sometime in college or shortly thereafter. It apparently first became available in the US back in 1983, but I suspect it was only available in speciality markets at that time. Fortunately, it seems to have gone more mainstream, with most grocery stores maintaining a decent stock. Hallelujah!
According to the Nutella USA website, Pietro Ferrero created Nutella during hard times in Italy during WWII. Chocolate was quite expensive so he used ground-up hazelnuts to add substance and flavor so he could reduce the proportion of chocolate needed. Signore, I salute your ingenuity!
