Nougat

Although sweets similar to nougat are found in other countries, Tabrizi nougat, which is called “Louka” in their local language, is different in some ways and is, therefore, one of the most popular souvenirs of Tabriz. People of Tabriz usually take nougat with hot tea.

Nougat is a sweet from the gaz family and it may even be confused with Isfahan Gaz. However, nougat is different from gaz in terms of flexibility and ingredients. Since nougat is softer than gaz, it is placed between two Mikado breads and sometimes wrapped in transparent nylon so that the pieces do not stick together and do not lose shape.

Nougat in other Countries of the World

Some countries like Italy and Central Asian countries have sweets similar to nougat and sometimes this name is also applied to sweets that may not even look like Tabrizi nougat. The origin of this sweet is attributed to Southern Europe and Southeast Asia, but it is not exactly clear in which country or region this popular sweet was made for the first time.

Ingredients

Sugar: one cup

Egg white: one

Rose water: half a cup

Glucose: half a cup

Cardamom and vanilla powder: half a teaspoon each

Pistachio nuts, almonds and walnuts: 150 to 200 grams

Egg white, sugar or honey, walnuts and vanilla are the main ingredients of nougat. This sweet is made with cocoa and nut flavors.

Recipe

Pour sugar and rose water into a pot and place on very low heat. Stir the mixture gently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Note that at this stage the mixture should not reach a boiling point because its volume will decrease due to high evaporation. Add the glucose to it and increase the heat until the ingredients boil a little. It takes between five and 10 minutes for the material to achieve the right concentration.

Add half a teaspoon of cardamom powder and vanilla to the egg white and beat it to form a smooth mixture. Remove the container, which is on the stove and add the egg white that is well mixed with the other ingredients. Stir the whole thing gently and after all the ingredients are properly mixed, increase the stirring speed and continue until a thick paste-like mixture forms. It is now time to add the nuts. Stir the mixture a little so that the nuts are well coated.

Oil the inner part of a square-shaped container with long walls. Spread a piece of nylon in it, in such a way that the nylon protrudes enough to cover the dish. Cut two pieces of Mikado bread according to the dimensions of the bottom of the dish. Put one piece on the bottom of the dish, pour the mixture you made on it and spread it, then put the other piece of bread on it and press well. Fold the nylon to cover the container and then place it in the refrigerator. The nougat is ready to be cut after five to six hours.

If you want the texture of the nougat to be more cohesive, put a weight on the container that you put in the refrigerator. After cutting the nougat into pieces, keep them in the refrigerator to make them last longer.

Some countries like Italy and Central Asian countries have sweets similar to nougat and sometimes this name is also applied to sweets that may not even look like Tabrizi nougat.