National Nougat Day

National Nougat Day, observed March 26th, celebrates the chewy confection made by whipping sugar or honey syrup with egg whites, often studded with nuts or candied fruit. Nougat has roots stretching back to the ancient Mediterranean and Middle East, with early versions made from honey, nuts, and egg whites documented in various forms across Roman, Arab, and later medieval European confectionery traditions, evolving into distinct regional specialties like French nougat de Montélimar, Spanish and Italian torrone, and Middle Eastern varieties, each shaped by locally available nuts, sweeteners, and flavorings. There are two broad categories of nougat: white nougat, made by whipping sugar syrup into beaten egg whites to create a light, chewy, aerated texture, and brown nougat, made without egg whites and caramelizing the sugar first for a denser, firmer, more toffee-like result. Nougat became a well-known component of American candy bars in the 20th century, appearing as a filling layer in products like Milky Way and Snickers, introducing the confection to a broad audience who may not have recognized it by name despite eating it regularly within familiar candy bars. On National Nougat Day, people celebrate by sampling traditional nougat varieties or appreciating the confection hidden inside familiar candy bars.