White Pine & Rosemary Nougat
At its most basic, nougat is a confection made with nuts, honey, and/or sugar, however it can also include egg whites, herbs, spices, dried fruit, and seeds depending on where it’s made. There are variations traditionally made throughout the SWANA region (Southwest Asia & North Africa), the Mediterranean, and southern Europe, and the name it’s most commonly known as in the US, nougat, comes from France. In Spain it’s called turrón. In Greece, it’s mandolato or mandola. In Iran it’s gaz. In Iraq and many SWANA countries it’s known as mann al-sama, which translates to “manna from heaven.” In Italy it goes by torrone with different regions having their specialties, such as giuggulena/giurgiulena in Sicily and Calabria, and minnulata and cubbaita/cumpittu in Sicily. In Malta it’s known as qubbajd.
Nougat’s origins are ancient and rooted in the SWANA region from which it then spread throughout the Mediterranean and southern Europe. The Sicilian name, giuggulena, is testament to this- its name is derived from the Classical Arabic word for sesame seed, gulgulān, which is the main ingredient in this Sicilian version of nougat, and harkens back to the time Sicily was under Arab rule. The earliest recorded recipe we have for this confection comes from a 10th century cookbook from Baghdad, in which it was referred to as natif.
Whatever name you choose to use for it, variations now exist the world over. The recipe I’m sharing with you today is own personal twist and shout-out to my ancestors. In the way food traditions evolve and have an entropy of their own, this version combines White Pine (Pinus strobus), an abundant native tree here in the northeast, with Rosemary and Orange Peel, foods integral to my Greek & Italian ancestors. Just like me, it’s a fusion of Mediterranean flavors and the land I live on now. I believe ancestral cooking needs to look like this- it has to be given space to evolve and grow and be acknowledged as the living, breathing tradition that it is. If you’re inspired by this recipe and intuitive, ancestral cooking, feel free to make this recipe your own! You can use any Pine (Pinus spp), Fir (Abies spp) or Spruce (Picea spp), including your Christmas tree. Many culinary herbs go well with evergreens including Thyme, Garden Sage, Cinnamon, and Cardamom to name a few and of course they bring their own medicine too.
The White Pine in this recipe brings potent, immune-stimulating essential oils that also taste delicious. And all the evergreens I mentioned above are medicinal to varying degrees. The orange zest adds a flavorful pop and enhances digestion and the Rosemary offers this medicinal as well. Rosemary is also a nootropic, an herb that enhances memory and focus and nourishes the nervous system- the ancient Greeks are said to have tucked sprigs of fresh Rosemary behind their ears when they took exams to enhance their recall and focus! And while I can’t guarantee that a bite of Rosemary-infused nougat will be enough to immediately enhance cognitive function, it’s certainly one way you can get your medicine in the form of food and I believe it all adds up. Consider a day of how Rosemary food as medicine could look- put some Rosemary on your eggs in the morning, have a salad at lunch dressed in an infused vinegar that includes Rosemary, put lots of Rosemary in a potato dish at dinner, then have some of this nougat for dessert and you’re eating medicinally!
And now, for the recipe. This was originally inspired by a recipe on the wonderful Gather Victoria blog that I’ve been building off of for many years- experimenting with adding different herbs, amounts, and so on, and I’m thrilled to say that this is the best batch yet and the recipe is ready to be shared!
White Pine & Rosemary Nougat
Ingredients:
4 c roasted hazelnuts or almonds
¾ c fresh white pine (Pinus strobus) needles, minced
¼ c dried rosemary, ground in a mortar and pestle OR 1 tbsp + 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
2 tbsp orange zest
2 cups honey (2 lbs) or herb-infused honey
4 tbsp ghee or butter (or olive oil if you’re dairy-free)
Directions:
1. Begin by removing the White Pine needles from the twigs and remember you can use any member of the Pine (Pinus spp), Spruce (Picea spp) or Fir (Abies spp) genera. You can learn more about White Pine medicine, ID, and sustainable harvesting here and the medicine of the conifers here. Mince the needles, then set aside.
2. Next mince your fresh Rosemary or grind it in a mortar and pestle of using dried and set aside. Then zest your Oranges and add to the Rosemary.
3. In a medium-sized saucepan combine the Pine needles with the honey. If you’re a seasoned medicine-maker and have familiarity with herbal honeys you can boost the medicine and flavor of this recipe even more by using an herbal honey, but this recipe is fantastic either way, whether you use an herb-infused honey or not! Gently warm on low for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add the Rosemary, Orange zest, and nuts to the pan and heat gently on low for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. You want it to be bubbling but not too high or else your finished nougat will be too hard. If you have a candy thermometer, your ideal temp is around 250-260 and much higher will yield a rock hard nougat! A good way to check is by dropping a bit of the honey mix in cold water- it will immediately solidify in the water when it’s ready. Then remove from heat and keep stirring until the bubbling subsides.
5. Pour into a medium-sized cookie sheet, well-greased with butter, ghee, or olive oil. Let cool and once it hardens cut into squares and serve or store in a covered container in the fridge. Enjoy your potent and medicinal dessert!
