Mantecol facts for kids
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| Owner | Georgalos (2022–) |
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| Introduced | 1940 |
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Mantecol is a very popular sweet treat from Argentina. It's a type of soft nougat made mostly from peanut butter. This yummy dessert was first made and sold in the 1940s by a company called Georgalos. Its founder, Miguel Georgalos, was a Greek immigrant. He got the idea from a similar Greek dessert called halva.
Mantecol is a favorite candy in Argentina. People enjoy it every day, especially during the summer months (December to February). It's also a classic dessert served during Christmas celebrations.
Contents
The Story of Mantecol
How Mantecol Began
The story of Mantecol starts way back in 1882 in Istanbul, a city in Turkey. A man named Juan Georgalos, Miguel's father, used to make bread and trade grains there. His son, Miguel, had to leave Istanbul in 1921. He moved to Poland, where some of his family lived. This family made and sold halva, and they taught Miguel how to make it.
Moving to Argentina
Before World War II began, Miguel Georgalos moved to Argentina. In 1941, he opened his own factory in a place called Floresta, Buenos Aires. He named his business "La Greco Argentina," which means "The Greek-Argentine." Later, when the rest of his family arrived, the company was renamed "Georgalos Hermanos."
Miguel changed the original halva recipe a bit to suit what people in Argentina liked. He couldn't find sesame seeds in Argentina, which are used in traditional halva. So, he used peanuts instead! This change made Mantecol unique.
Where the Name Came From
The name Mantecol came from a neighbor of Miguel Georgalos. She tasted the dessert and said it "tasted like butter." In Rioplatense Spanish, the word for butter is "manteca." So, the name Mantecol was born!
At first, Mantecol was sold in big packages. But soon, it was sold in smaller, individual packages, making it easier for everyone to enjoy.
Changes in Ownership
After a tough economic time in Argentina (around 1998-2002), the Georgalos company sold the rights to Mantecol. They sold it to Cadbury Stani, which was part of the big company Cadbury. This happened in 2001. Cadbury changed the recipe a little, adding things like glucose syrup and vanilla.
Later, in 2010, another big company called Kraft Foods Inc. bought Cadbury. So, Mantecol became one of Kraft's brands. Two years later, Kraft split into two new companies. One of them, Mondelez International, took over Cadbury and the Mantecol brand. Mondelez made Mantecol at the Cadbury factory in Victoria, Buenos Aires.
Mantecol Returns Home
However, the Georgalos family didn't stop making their peanut butter dessert. In 2008, after an agreement with Cadbury ended, Georgalos started making their original recipe again. They called their new product Nucrem. It quickly became popular, and within three years, Georgalos had a big share of the candy market.
Then, in July 2022, something exciting happened! Mondelez sold part of its business in Argentina, including the factory where Mantecol was made. The Georgalos company bought it back! This meant Georgalos got the Mantecol brand back after 21 years. They started making Mantecol and other popular candies like Bazooka and Palitos de la selva again.
What's in Mantecol?
The original Mantecol recipe uses these ingredients:
- Peanut Butter
- Wheat flour
- Coarse semolina
- Whole nuts
- Peanut paste
- Dairy milk
- Rosewater
- Powdered sugar
Advertising Mantecol
From the very beginning, Mantecol was advertised a lot to make sure everyone knew about it. Georgalos worked with a famous artist and animator named Manuel García Ferré to create fun advertisements. The company also ran campaigns that focused on students, which helped the candy become very popular in schools.
See also
In Spanish: Mantecol para niños
