Nougat–like anchovies and licorice–is one of those foods that people either love or hate. (What is nougat? Think of the chewy part of a Snickers that makes you thirsty.) So, when my friend recommended Vadeboncoeur, an artisanal French nougat handmade by a handsome young Frenchman in Vermont, I figured it was time to give it a try…
I bought two bars in Brooklyn and stowed them in my bag for our final flight home, from Los Angeles to New York. To make nougat, you mix and cook egg whites, honey, roasted almonds, pistachios and sugar in copper cauldrons (sounds like a fairy tale!) and form them in wooden molds. The result is a chewy, sweet and nutty French confection. As I munched the bar during the flight, I discovered that I fall squarely into the “love it” category. (So did my two seatmates.)
(Photo by Joanna Goddard)
