Chocolate hazelnut spread taste test: is Nutella the best?

The challenge begins for this congregation. – HungryGoWhere pic, February 5, 2016.Our HungryGoWhere team set out on a mission to discover if Nutella really was the hazelnut spread to beat in terms of taste, texture and tantalisation. We did a blind taste test of local and international brands to find out which of these chocolatey hazelnut spreads would win our hearts.

All hazelnut spreads come from the same beginnings: we compared the ingredients these brands used to make their hazelnut spreads, and most of them are exactly the same! Sugar, vegetable oil, skimmed milk powder, fat reduced cocoa powder, and of course, hazelnuts, make up the majority of the ingredients, with very minor deviations.

But how is it that Nutella is the most popular spread of the lot? We had the HungryGoWhere team conduct a blind taste test to find out if Nutella really is the best of them all.

The first we tried was the only variety with actual bits of nuts. The crunchy texture was pleasant, and it definitely had more hazelnut taste than chocolate. This spread scored higher on the sugar scale, but our verdict is that we would definitely eat Kraft’s Crunchy Hazelnut Spread again.

You need a nut to make nutritious, right? – HungryGoWhere pic, February 5, 2016.Upon first taste, most of our testers exclaimed, "Ooh, this is really chocolatey!" This scored an eight on our sugar scale, with a creamy smooth texture that had just a bit of grittiness to it.

Decidedly less of a nut than the others. – HungryGoWhere pic, February 5, 2016. Our chocolate lovers said yes, but the other critics wouldn’t have Hershey’s hazelnut spread again. We actually think it would go well in a cake, especially one you can whip up in under 30 minutes!

So good you can even eat it on its own! – HungryGoWhere pic, February 5, 2016.This spread was yet another favourite – smooth, salty with a sweetness that reminded us of corn, it also had a good hazelnut flavour to it. We weren’t surprised to find out it was Gardenia’s Delicia Hazelnut Chocolate spread because the flavours reminded us of their timeless bread products as snacks at recess or after school.

Another plus point is that you’ll know that it definitely goes well with bread, and it costs an extremely affordable RM8.90!

What a strangely refreshing spread. – HungryGoWhere pic, February 5, 2016.This contender was very interesting and controversial. The sweetness tasted like it was derived from rose syrup, and it was one of the most fragrant – perhaps if it had been a candle, we would have been fonder of it. But Iran’s Shoco Sahar (RM7.99) just isn’t our cup of tea, or preferred choice of hazelnut spread for that matter. However, if you're game for something out of the ordinary, this is your best best for the most affordable hazelnut spread yet.

This one immediately took us by storm, with a few of us even saying you could taste the quality in the chocolate, and (a dead giveaway) that it reminded us of a Kinder egg. This spread was incredibly creamy and very smooth, with a strong hazelnut taste compared to the ratio of chocolate in the spread.

Some call it brain-washing, but it has made its mark. – HungryGoWhere pic, February 5, 2016.However, this tiny 200g jar cost us RM10.11, and we were not fans of the amount of oil we saw gathered at the top of the spread. But Australia’s Nutella by Ferrero was a definite "yes" for us in terms of whether we would eat it again, health concerns aside.

What other chocolate hazelnut spreads did we pit against the mighty Nutella, and which ones have you tried and loved? If your answer is Nutella, than you may enjoy KL favourites of Nutella with naan, a Nutella bagel, Nutella milk, or any of the 10 Nutella Desserts To Die For in KL. – February 5, 2016.

Nuts for Nutella? Seek out the nuttiest of desserts when you download our new HungryGoWhere app which shows you what places are around your current location up to a radius of 5km! Or you can just look up any location, and see what's popular among fellow foodies. Share your suggestions too! Now available on iTunes and Google Play.