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 dessert from Argentina. It's a type of soft nougat made from peanut butter. This sweet treat was first made and sold in the 1940s. A Greek immigrant named Miguel Georgalos created it. He was inspired by a Greek dessert called halva.
Mantecol is a favorite candy in Argentina. People enjoy it daily, especially from December to February. It's also a classic dessert for the Christmas holidays.
Contents
The Story of Mantecol
The idea for Mantecol started in 1882 in Istanbul. That's where Juan Georgalos, Miguel's father, baked bread and traded grains. In 1921, Miguel Georgalos was forced to leave Istanbul. Many other Greeks also had to leave at that time. He went to Poland where some relatives lived. These relatives made and sold halva. They taught Miguel how to prepare it.
Before World War II began, Miguel Georgalos moved to Argentina. In 1941, he opened a factory in Floresta, Buenos Aires. He named his business La Greco Argentina, which means "The Greek-Argentine". Later, when his family arrived, it became "Georgalos Hermanos". Miguel changed the original halva recipe. He wanted it to taste better for people in Argentina. He couldn't find sesame seeds there. So, he used peanuts instead.
The name Mantecol came from a neighbor. She tasted the dessert and said it "tasted like butter." In Latin American Spanish, "butter" is "manteca."
At first, Mantecol was sold in large 1 and 3 kilogram packages. Later, it was sold in smaller, individual packets.
Changes in Ownership
After a difficult time in Argentina (the 1998–2002 Argentine great depression), Georgalos sold Mantecol. They sold the rights to the candy to Cadbury Stani in 2001. Cadbury Stani was the Argentine part of Cadbury Schweppes. The sale was for $22.5 million. Cadbury changed the recipe a bit. They added things like glucose syrup and vanilla.
In 2010, a U.S. company called Kraft Foods Inc. bought Cadbury. Mantecol then became one of Kraft's brands. Two years later, Kraft split into two new companies. One of them, Mondelez International, took over Cadbury. This meant Mondelez owned the Mantecol brand. Mantecol was made by Mondelez at the Cadbury factory in Victoria, Buenos Aires.
Meanwhile, in 2008, Georgalos could start making their own version again. They began making the original recipe under a new brand name: Nucrem. Just three years after launching Nucrem, Georgalos had a big share of the candy market.
In July 2022, something exciting happened. Mondelez sold part of its business in Argentina. Georgalos bought back the factory in Victoria, Buenos Aires. This meant Georgalos got the "Mantecol" brand back after 21 years! They started making the dessert and other products again. Georgalos also bought other popular candy brands. These included Bazooka, Palitos de la selva, Lengüetazo, and Jirafa.
What's in Mantecol?
The original recipe for Mantecol uses these ingredients:
- Peanut Butter;
- Wheat flour 000;
- Coarse semolina;
- Whole nuts;
- Peanut paste;
- Dairy milk;
- Rosewater;
- Powdered sugar.
Advertising Mantecol
From the very beginning, Mantecol was advertised a lot. Georgalos worked with artist and animator Manuel García Ferré. He helped create the advertisements. The company also ran many campaigns to promote Mantecol. They often focused on students. This helped the candy become very popular among young people.
See also
In Spanish: Mantecol para niños
