Nougats are light, chewy candies similar to caramel in consistency, but they do not usually contain milk. There are two standard varieties of nougat: soft nougat (tendre), which is chewy but substantial, and hard nougat (dur), which is initially crunchy but dissolves grudgingly as you chew.

What's the secret behind making Province's (France) legendary sweet and chewy, Nougat ? They are made by whipping a solution of egg whites or gelatin or both into a boiled sugar syrup. Vegetable fats are added to give a chewiness, and it is often studded with toasted almonds and pistachios. Fruits or honey may also be added. Soft, well-aerated nougat has become a very popular filling for some chocolate-covered bars. Nougats should stand for several hours before cutting.

In composition a Nougat is not all that different from a marshmallow, and in fact it has some attributes in common with the hard edges of a perfectly stale Jet Puff, although it lacks the marshmallow's slippery, gelatinous quality.

There are many variations on the two basic types, including a less common and harder caramel-colored variety called nougatine. You can find nougat flavored with coffee, lavender flowers or chunks of candied orange peel and in all the colors and flavors of a box of Fruit Loops. A spreadable version called creme de nougat has the slightly malted taste of processed milk and can be used to fill tarts and Breton-style buckwheat crepes or eaten straight from the jar with a spoon. You can buy nougat in tins, in bags of bite-size squares and in chocolate-covered bars that resemble Three Musketeers (to about the degree that a rum baba resembles a Twinkie).

Made in Province since the end of the 17th century, when almond trees were introduced to Southern France, nougat as we know it replaced a similar walnut confection as the local delicacy. The first commercial nougat factory in Montelimar opened in 1770, and a few of the town's existing factories have been in operation since the end of the 19th century. The 15 nougat factories in Montelimar today produce a combined total of 3,000 tons of nougat a year, which is exported all over the world, although the American market has proved particularly hard to penetrate.

The process of making nougat involves whipping egg whites and honey together over a hot water bath and then pouring in sugar that has been cooked separately in a copper kettle to 250 degrees for soft nougat and 300 degrees for hard. The mixture is stirred for four hours over hot water, at which point Provencal almonds and Sicilian pistachios are added.

The sticky mass is quickly shoveled into trays lined with a thin, edible paper called pain azyme , or unleavened bread, which is similar to the material that comprises Holy Communion wafers. A heavy metal rolling pin is used to flatten the nougat while it is still warm, before it hardens into a solid, intractable chunk. After the nougat is completely cool, Bonnieu uses a ruler and a circular saw to cut it into its intended dimensions.