Nougat is a soft, chewy confection made by whipping egg whites with hot sugar or honey syrup and folding in nuts, typically almonds or pistachios. Its earliest known recipes appear in 10th-century Arabic texts from around present-day Turkey and Syria; the confection reached France later and became strongly associated with the town of Montélimar after almond orchards were expanded there in the early 18th century. Nougat is used as a filling in candy bars like Snickers and Toblerone, layered into French pastries such as the bûche de Noël, and eaten on its own as a holiday sweet in many Mediterranean countries. Its flavor is primarily sweet with a nutty undertone, pairing well with chocolate, caramel, honey, and citrus.