National Pralines Day: History, Facts And Types Of The Nutty Treat

The world celebrates National Pralines Day on June 24 every year to honor the confection made from nuts and sugar syrup.

Praline is so popular that it is one of the most sought-after confections in the bakery industry, used as a chocolate filling and ice cream flavor.

History:

Origin- While there isn't a solid record about how American praline came into existence, many believe it was named after a 17th-century French diplomat named César, Duc de Choiseul, Comte du Plessis-Praslin. The diplomat’s chef, Clement Lassagne, is credited with making the treat.

However, the pralines originally made were whole almonds covered in caramel sugar.

And, Ursuline nuns are the reason why they are so popular in the United States. According to legends, they brought the nutty candy from France to New Orleans in the 1720s.

Some people believe the French settlers brought the recipe to Louisiana where pecan trees were abundant. Chefs in New Orleans eventually substituted pecans for almonds and added cream.

Types- There are mainly three types of praline.

1) American pralines- Though it evolved from the original French Praline, almonds were replaced by pecans in the U.S. Today, pralines are made with brown sugar, granulated sugar, cream, butter, and pecans. Hence, it resembles a chewy cookie.

2) Belgian pralines- Also called the "soft-center Belgian chocolates," Belgian praline doesn't, in any way, resemble the American praline. It consists of a hard chocolate shell with a softer, liquid filling and has a different combination of nuts with sugar syrup.

3) French pralines- The original version, French praline is made with a combination of almonds and caramelized sugar. These candied almonds can be grounded into a powder called “praline.”

Here are some basic facts about this sugary and nutty candy to commemorate the occasion.

Facts

1) 'Pralines and Cream' is a popular flavor of ice cream in the U.S. and Canada.

2) In New Orleans and Louisiana, pralines are often called 'pecan candy.'

3) The world's most expensive chocolate praline is worth $240,000. Carved by artists chocolatier Paul Wittamer and jeweler Fabienne Lascar, this chocolate praline also sports a 3.63-carat diamond.