Nutella was first marketed under its current name in 1964.
The spread developed from an earlier product called Supercrema, created by Pietro Ferrero in Italy after cocoa shortages made ordinary chocolate expensive. Ferrero refined the hazelnut-and-cocoa recipe and launched Nutella as a commercial brand in the 1960s.
The name combines “nut” with a suffix based on the Italian word for hazelnut, “nocciola.” Nutella is therefore not simply melted chocolate: its ingredients traditionally include sugar, hazelnuts, cocoa solids, and vegetable oil.
A common mix-up is placing the brand’s origin in the United States because Nutella became globally popular there much later. The product began in Italy, and its first jar under the Nutella name appeared in 1964. Ferrero has since sold it in many countries, with recipes and labeling varying slightly by market.