We are in December and we want to show you our sixth eTwinning in our project Add holidays to our calendar : Spanish Turrón
What
is turrón?
Turrón
is a sweet treat made from a mixture of honey, eggs, sugar and,
perhaps most importantly of all, toasted nuts. The most common type
of nut to be used in the elaboration of turrón
is almonds, although other nuts such as pistachios can sometimes be
used instead.
To
make turrón,
the artisan-maker first starts by heating the honey until it begins
to caramelize, before then adding sugar and egg whites to the
preparation. The next step is to add the toasted nuts to the mixture
and blend it all together before leaving it to rest and set. Once the
turrón is
set it can be kept for up to a year.
These
days turrón comes in a number of different types and flavors,
depending on the ingredients used and the method of preparation. The
most important distinction between types of turrón
is whether it is hard and easily broken, or soft and chewy. The
harder variety is known as turrón duro
or Turrón de Alicante,
whereas the softer kind is known as turrón
blando or turrón
de Jijona, in reference to the two
towns in which each kind became most famous.
This Spanish sweet
treat is enjoyed throughout the year but is really most
popular during the festive season when it is an essential component
of any Christmas meal.
Its
origins can actually be traced back to the Moors who invaded the
country in the early Middle Ages. The Moors brought with them a
rich culinary heritage.
By
the 15th century, turrón
was a popular sweet in Spain and there were some
artisan-makers
who made turrón especially around the town of Alicante.
While
honey was used in the preparation from the beginning, it would seem
that sugar was only added to the list of ingredients when the first
sugar plantations were discovered in South America and sugar became a
more common ingredient in Spanish cuisine.
Nowadays
turrón
remains one of the most common treats to be offered around the time
of the Christmas holidays. In 2017, the province of Alicante produced
over 35 million kilograms of turrón,
95 per cent of which is sold around Christmas time. 23 companies
make turrón and 1800 people work in these companies. The turrón
business had an annual turnover of 210 million euros last year.
Spain’s
turrón is
still made according to traditional recipes and methods, using the
same basic ingredients as always. The country is the biggest exporter
of turrón
in the world, primarily to South America but also Japan and the
Middle East, as well as neighboring countries such as Germany and
Italy.
Jijona Turrón
Made for centuries in the Alicante town of the same name, Jijona
turrón, with is characteristic golden colour and soft texture, has
become one of the most typical Christmas desserts.
Turron is a nougat obtained by cooking honey and adding toasted
almonds (usually peeled) and egg whites and then kneading it to form
a rectangular or round tablet. During its manufacture, Jijona turrón
undergoes a chopping process that makes the almond lose part of its
oil before going through a softening process in which the mixture is
evened out until it achieves the typical golden colour and soft
texture that characterise it. Jijona turrón is a food with great
energy value, rich in carbohydrates, vegetable fat and protein
Of Arabic origins, this sweet, made essentially with an almond base
and honey, is indisputably and important item on any Christmas table.
Turron is a nougat obtained by cooking honey and adding toasted
almonds (usually peeled) and egg whites and kneading it to form a
rectangular or round tablet. It is characteristically hard and it is
known especially for the presence of whole or nearly whole peeled
almonds. Despite the obvious industrialisation of its production, the
process is still basically the same as it traditionally has been for
centuries.
If you want to see the powerpoint of Spanish turrón click here:
https://twinspace.etwinning.net/70778/pages/page/492489