December/January / Global
The Agenda: Affairs
The importance of soft power, Algeria’s chocolate-hazelnut spread and France and Italy’s spat.
F&B — ALGERIA
Hitting the sweet spot
In 2024, Nutella celebrated its 60th year as one of Italy’s most successful exports. But an Algerian upstart has been stealing the thunder of Ferrero Group’s famous chocolate spread. For sweet-toothed aficionados in France, Belgium and the Arab world, 2024 was the year of El Mordjene, a chocolate-and-hazelnut cream made by Algerian confectioner Cebon. This family business, founded in 1997, created El Mordjene in 2021 using hazelnuts, milk, cocoa, palm oil and, of course, lots of sugar.
Earlier this year, El Mor…
