What is nougat?
Dear Straight Dope:
Everyone loves the nougat in candy bars but what exactly is it?
Speak for yourself, SubJ. I personally find the way it sticks to my fillings vile.
According to my trusty Joy of Cooking, previous edition, nougat is a combination of sugar, corn syrup, egg whites, butter and nuts. Joy claims that France and Italy are famous for their honey-flavored nougats, then cravenly declines to give a recipe for one claiming that more careful storage of honey-containing candy is needed due to atmospheric moisture. Whatever that's supposed to mean. It's not like a plate full of homemade candy is going to sit around for a week or two.
Of course, there's no guarantee that American candy manufacturers are going to limit themselves to such wholesome ingredients. But if you want to get into a discussion of petrochemicals, you're going to have to ask someone besides me.
