Nougat: where to taste it at Christmas markets

Nougat is a confection of honey and almonds, either white and soft with beaten egg whites or black and brittle, and it counts among the thirteen desserts of Provence served at the Provençal Christmas table, which earns it a place on the stalls of Christmas markets in the south of France. In Montélimar it carries a PGI.

White nougat or black nougat: which one to choose

White nougat owes its airy texture to egg whites whipped stiff, cooked with the honey and sugar, then filled with almonds. It comes in two textures, hard and crunchy or soft and chewy, and that is mostly what the choice at the stall comes down to. Black nougat does without egg whites: honey and almonds cooked together, for a dark, brittle paste.

In Provence, the two sit side by side among the thirteen desserts, with calissons, candied fruit and pompe à l’huile, the only dessert on the list considered compulsory. Our guide to Christmas in Provence describes this table.

Where to buy Montélimar nougat at a Christmas market

Montélimar nougat PGI, recognised at the end of 2024, is made in Montélimar and in thirteen neighbouring communes in the south of the Drôme. Honey makes up at least a quarter of the sweetening ingredients, whole roasted sweet almonds at least 30%, sometimes supplemented with green pistachios, and no additive is allowed other than vanilla. It is sold in slabs cut to order, in small blocks, moulded or in broken pieces. The Montélimar market presents it made with lavender honey, and Valence, close by, has it too.

On Provençal stalls, Marseille and Aix-en-Provence offer both white and black, as does Arles. Manosque, Carpentras, Cavaillon, Avignon and Salon-de-Provence sell them with calissons and candied fruit. Further west, Narbonne and Carcassonne sell them too.

Nougat in pictures