Nougat de Montélimar is a candy speciality produced in Montélimar in the department of Drôme in France. The origin of nougat dates back to the 12th century, where it first appeared on Middle-Eastern documents. It was named Halou (“sweet” in Arabic). Phoenicians crossed the Mediterranean Sea with it, and from this crossing Nougat spread over the European continent. In France, the white nougat of Marseilles was the first recipe for nougat. The word "nougat" comes from its main ingredient, the walnut (Latin Nux gatum, Provençal nougo). Nougat may come from the Arabic word, which is nougat meaning tiny dot, referring to its aspect with lots of almond or pistachio dots.