Nutella is a chocolate hazelnut based spread from Ferrero, the esteemed manufacturers of those shiny gold foil wrapped Ferrero Rochers you may have come across; and it is, no doubt my favourite spread of all spreads. It is perfect for everyday use... however this may not be the best for your health. Here are my views on this product, covering various aspects of it:

PRICE:

I won't lie to you, Nutella doesn't exactly come off as a cheap spread- and admittedly, you can get other supermarket branded chocolate hazelnut spreads for much cheaper; however they are of inferior taste and quality (and believe you me, after you have tasted Nutella, you won't be wanting to revert back to other spreads). In normal supermarkets, you can usually get a regular 400g jar of Nutella for between £1.50 and £2; and if you are not the sole user of Nutella and like a bit of it with everything, unfortunately this will not last you for too long. A small 100g jar which will last you no longer than a couple breakfasts' worth of Nutella on toast costs around £1. There are occasional promotions on Nutella products which I would recommend for you to take advantage of when they come; for example at times you can get two 400g jars for £3 which is not such a bad price. The best promotions come at and before Pancake Day, when everybody wants Nutella to spread on their pancakes and don't need it any more before Easter; so the major supermarkets try to clear out as much of their stock as is possible. The Pancake Day promotions on Nutella was superb- a 400g jar for £1 from places such as Tesco! I therefore advise you to take advantage of these rare promotions and stock up!

TASTE:

The taste of Nutella, as I am sure many will agree with me, is far superior to that of many other chocolate spreads. It is rich and nutty whilst at the same time managing to be light and slightly creamy. The taste of hazelnuts in this, though delicious and sufficient, could, I think be made even more delicious and intensified by adding more hazelnuts per jar- though it is to my knowledge that there is quite a lot in it anyway. The chocolatey aroma, though strong, rich and prominent upon taste, is balanced and made not too overwhelming by the addition of the hazelnuts, which is a bonus. In fact, it tastes exactly like a Ferrero Rocher (which I may point out costs much much more for just a tiny amount) but without the crispy chocolate outside and the chopped nuts, which you could probably manage to live without, or if desired, I am sure these could be easily added without spending tonnes.

QUALITY AND PACKAGING:

The hazelnut spread is packaged securely inside a rounded glass jar with a white cap and white labelling, with the normal ingredients, brand and information that you would expect from a decent chocolate spread. To my understanding there is a promotion right now which allows you to enter for a chance to win a hazelnut tree, which is advertised clearly on the jar. The only downside, I find, with the packaging is the gold coloured film protecting the spread at first. Of course this is necessary for you to know whether or not it has been opened previously, but it is very hard to peel off, and I usually have to stab it with a sharp object and then tear it off in order to remove it. The quality of Nutella has always been near immaculate to me- no lumps or anything inside. The texture is smooth and non gritty; though do take note that if left in a slightly warmer temperature, it can turn rather more like a sauce than a spread, so I would advise for this product to be kept in a cool place, for example a kitchen cupboard.

HEALTH BENEFITS AND PROBLEMS:

With all good things, Nutella has a downside; and that is its unhealthiness. Well, you hardly can expect a chocolate spread to be healthy, can you? There are many calories inside a spoonful, that can be consumed in a matter of seconds. Though on the Nutella jar, the company has made a lot of effort to emphasize the fact that it is a hazelnut spread, not a chocolate one, people do tend to underestimate how oily nuts can be, especially if you are planning on consuming a lot. And, admittedly, Nutella can get a little addicting! It is very possible to just sit there with your jar of Nutella and a spoon, digging in as an idle moment of binge eating; this can hardly be good for your health.

WHAT CAN YOU USE NUTELLA FOR:

Nutella, being a chocolate hazelnut spread, has many different ways of which it can be consumed.
You can:
- Just eat it out of the jar (I know, I know, this is very unhealthy, but at times irresistable) with a spoon. This will deplete your sources of Nutella by quite a lot, though.
- Eat it spread out on toast, or other baked goods, for example croissants. Nutella, I find, compliments the crunchiness of toast perfectly. Also, there is nothing more delightful than settling down after a long hard day with a lovely Nutella sandwich.
- Bake it in brownies; just add a spoonful or two to your brownie mix (put a little less cocoa powder or chocolate than you normally would) and tada!- You now have delicious hazelnut brownies! I am sure you can make Nutella cookies too, though I have never tried it, by using the recipe for peanut butter cookies, but replacing the peanut butter with Nutella- it would give it an interesting different taste!
- Instead of adding hot chocolate powder to your hot milk, add two generous table spoons' worth of Nutella instead- it makes a delicious hot treat!
- I am sure there are many more uses for Nutella, like mixing it in to your porridge.

IN CONCLUSION:

Nutella is one of the best manufacturers of chocolate spread available, and, depite the fact that it is rather unhealthy, I have to give it 5 stars for its taste, quality and the multitude of ways of which you can use Nutella.