No matter how many creative nougats appear on the market each year, the classics never fail. We have been familiar with certain brands that are already part of Christmas traditions for decades, and one of the most mythical is the one from Jijón 1880. Perhaps it is due to this familiarity that we have not considered why it presumes to be the most expensive nougat in the worldif also it is not at all.
A good slogan advertising is capable of leaving its mark on the collective imagination and even surviving the product it promotes. Associated with Christmas we have many examples, now more linked to television commercials that increasingly appeal to emotion. The “Come back, come home come back, for Christmas” by El Almendro is one of the most popular, but its competitor 1880 has preferred to bet on that curious phrase that it repeats in all its products and promotions. It is already part of the brand, despite the fact that Doesn’t seem like a very logical business move boast of having a high price.
Yeah it might make sense as a way of stand out from the competition, seeking to associate the high cost with exclusivity. However, since we are referring to nougats that are sold in any supermarket, this supposed patina gourmet remains blurredeven more so when one comes to compare ingredients and nutritional composition, and finds that they are practically identical to those of other brands.
Commercial intentions aside, the slogan itself makes a statement false. The 1880 nougats may be one of the most expensive that we can find on the shelves of any supermarket, but there are others that surpass it.
Being picky, the brand does not specify if it refers to all the nougats in the world in all its varieties, or only the most traditional ones from Alicante and Jijona. In the first case there is no possible discussion, since it is enough to mention the bizarre nougats signed by Dabiz Muñoz or Albert Adrià to verify that they far exceed any price from 1880.
1880 – Artisan Nougat from Alicante XV Century Recipe Made with Selected and Orange Blossom Honey, Crispy Texture, Traditional Gluten-Free Nougat, Almond, 220 Grams
Club del Gourmet supreme quality Alicante nougat (250 g case – €50 / kg)
But even sticking to the nougats with the stamp of PGI Jijona we find brands such as Pablo Garrigós, or the own white brand of El Club Gourmet from El Corte Inglés, which are more expensive. Why does the firm 1880 deliberately “lie” about something like that?
When nougat was a luxury
Like almost everything in this life, it has an explanation, and in this case it is also very simple. First we have to put the birth of the slogan in context, and for this we must delve a little into the own story Of the brand.
To no one’s surprise, the 1880 nougat was born that year in Jijona itself. However, the small family business from which the firm grew dates back as far as 1725, the year in which the foundation of the first artisan workshop is recorded under the initiative of Bautista Sirvent. As he recounted in an interview with The country in 1998 his heir and current president of El Lobo and 1880, John Anthony Sirventthe family even has written sources that testify to the work of a first nougat maker in 1646, also named Bautista.
But it was at the end of the 19th century when the 1880 brand was created, one of the two that belong to the family, and also the most emblematic. While El Lobo was destined for export in its first decades, 1880 was officially registered in 1940since it was the year in which the master recipe was established under which a specific quality nougat would begin to be produced.
According to Sirvent, his father insisted on making a truly luxurious nougat without skimping on qualities, despite the fact that these were difficult times for Spanish society and economy. in full postwar period and during the first years of the Franco regime, sweets were almost prohibitive for most of the population, and ingredients such as Marcona almonds, sugar and honey were scarce and had very high prices.
While other brands or producers lowered the quality of their products, or substituted raw materials for lower-cost ones -as was also done with roasted coffee-, Sirvent did not renounce its standards. And that’s how his product earned the family nickname of “the most expensive nougat in the world”intended for a client gourmet and well-to-do, which would soon become the emblem of the brand.
Over time, that nickname went from being an advertising claim to being part of the brand identitywhich continues to display a certain air of distinction and prestige also throughout the design of its packaging and with the expanded range of different types of nougat, as well as more current flavors and other sweets, including sugar-free varieties.
So maybe 1880 no longer the most expensive nougat that we can buy, but it probably was during a time when our grandparents had to make do with carob chocolate. What is not so clear is whether such a peculiar slogan will continue to be seen as an iconic emblem of the brand, or if will back down new generations of consumers to watch their purchasing budget.
Photos | nougat 1880
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