The origins of Montelimar nougat

Here is a very interesting subject! But where to begin? How did the city of Montélimar become the capital of world nougat? We can certainly note that for two centuries many families have been producing high-quality artisanal nougat, such as Maison Val Roubion at 3 bis Avenue d'Aygu, 26200 Montélimar. However, this doesn't explain everything; we need to get closer to the legends!

We have selected our two favorite legends and another clue. The first takes us back to 1909 when the Montilian Mirabel-Chambaud published an article titled "The True Story of Montélimar Nougat." According to him, the origin dates back to Adhémar le Rouge, the lord of Montélimar in the 11th century. Strangely, though, no one can necessarily find traces of this character!

So, after the first crusade, our dear Adhémar le Rouge supposedly returned to his lands with an Arab cook and a crocodile. Brace yourselves for the next part—it's a real drama! Adhémar le Rouge arranged the marriage of the Arab cook to a servant working for his wife. However, she strongly disagreed and wanted a local cook for herself. That's when he had the brilliant idea to settle the matter by having each cook prepare nougat. The local cook presented a hard nougat that Adhémar le Rouge's wife preferred, while the Arab cook presented a soft nougat that Adhémar had enjoyed during his crusade, to the point of bringing the cook back! It was the crocodile that supposedly settled the dispute, but after biting the hard nougat, its jaw got stuck with the soft nougat. It was caught and thrown into the Rhône, which could explain the myth of the Tarasque, a legendary monster that terrorized the region of Tarascon downstream from Montélimar on the Rhône.

Let's continue with legends; do you know Aunt Manon? She was supposedly an old maid from Montélimar who prepared a dessert with honey and almonds for her brother's children. Her nephews, fans of this new confectionery, supposedly exclaimed, "Aunt Manon, you spoil us!" This is how the recipe supposedly transformed from "you spoil us" to "nougat" and endured through time!

We can also propose another explanation, though it's a bit fantastical too! Our Montélimar nougat would be a Roman pastry called NUX GATUM, which means walnut cake in French. This cake supposedly spread in Provence during the Roman colonization. However, this hypothesis is a bit convenient, as the only Roman cake that could fit is called patina versatiles, not aux gatum!

In more recent times, historical writings confirm that the history of Montélimar nougat began in 1701. The first consul of Montélimar, Claude Souchon, reportedly offered a quintal (100 kg) of white nougat to Philippe V of Anjou, the grandson of Louis XIV and future king of Spain. The same proportionate gift was reportedly given to the two brothers, the dukes of Burgundy and Berry. Their two escort leaders, the Duke of St Aignan and the Duke of Noailles, also received a smaller gift. This is how the city of Montélimar allegedly delivered 200 kg of white nougat to these distinguished guests returning from Spain and heading to Paris.

It is evident that the tradition of offering this valuable gift existed, and nougat production was well-established in Montélimar in the early 18th century. According to the writings, this tradition lasted until the Revolution. We also learn that nougat at that time was made in large sheets, broken with a hammer, and sold in pieces!

Ah, what stories, dear friends and nougat enthusiasts, between fantasies and legends!