Turrón (
Spanish),
torró (
Catalan), or
torrone (
Italian) is a
nougat confection, typically made of
honey, sugar, and
egg white, with toasted
almonds or other nuts, and usually shaped into either a rectangular tablet or a round cake. It is frequently consumed as a traditional Christmas dessert in Spain and Italy. There are also some varieties in
Latin America and the
Philippines.
Recipe
The 16th-century
Manual de Mujeres ("Women's Handbook"), a handbook of recipes for cosmetics and some foodstuffs, has what is probably the oldest extant Spanish turron recipe. It calls for honey and some egg whites, cooked until it becomes breakable once cooled. Once the honey is caramelized the recipe suggests adding pine nuts, almonds or hazelnuts, peeled and roasted. The mix is then cooked a bit further, and finally removed from the heat and cut into slices.
History
Nougats in different forms have existed in the
Mediterranean region since Roman times. Turrón is definitely known since at least the 15th century in the city of
Jijona (formerly Sexona, or Xixona in Valencian), north of
Alicante. The similar
Torrone is typical of
Bagnara,
Taurianova and
Cremona in Italy. Turrón is commonly consumed in most of
Spain, some countries of
Latin America, and in
Roussillon (
France). There are similar confections made in the
Philippines.
Variations are found throughout the Mediterranean basin.
Types
Turrón itself can take on a variety of consistencies and appearances, however they traditionally consisted of the same ingredients; the final product may be either hard and crunchy, or soft and chewy. Thirty years ago almost all turrón recipes followed the same specifications, but since the diversification of products there are currently dozens of varieties: chocolate with puffed rice or whole almonds; all kinds of chocolate
pralines, with or without liquor, candied fruits or whole nuts; fruit pralines; and even sugarless variations (sweetened with
fructose or artificial
sweeteners).
Spanish turrón
Spanish Turrón may be roughly classified as:
* Hard (the Alicante variety): A compact block of whole almonds in a brittle mass of eggs, honey and sugar; 64% almonds.
Soft (the Jijona variety): Similar but the almonds are reduced to a paste. The addition of oil makes the matrix more chewy and sticky; 60% almonds.
This variation in ingredients and resulting dryness reflects a continuum that exists also in amaretto (almond flavored) cookies, from a meringue to a macaroon.
Other varieties include Torró d'Agramunt from near Lleida and torró de Casinos.
In Peruvian cuisine turrón generally is soft and may be flavored with anise.
Italian torrone
Torrone is a popular winter and Christmas dessert in Italy and many varieties exist. Commercial versions are more likely to diverge from the traditional recipe and may include flavorings, such as orange, lemon, vanilla, etc.
Philippines
Turrones de Casuy, produced in the
Pampanga region of the Philippines is a derivative. It is a bar of
marzipan made with cashew nuts, and wrapped in white wafer. It is, however, not associated with any particular holiday season. , Another example is
Turones de Pili, made using the native
Pili nut.
Perhaps unrelated is the Turrón (Filipino cuisine), which are sliced plantains dipped in brown sugar, wrapped in spring roll wrappers and deep-fried.
Czech candy
A confectionary similar to the hard variety of the Spanish turrón and Italian torrone is produced in the
Czech Republic. It is called
Turecký med (literally "Turkish honey").
Protected status
Various types of Turrón/Torrone that have
Protected Geographical Status under EU law include:
* Jijona (PGI) (Spain)
Turrón de Alicante (PGI) (Spain)
Turrón de Agramunt (Torró d'Agramunt) (PGI) (Spain)
Others, such as Torrone di Cremona (Italy) have protected status by (but not limited to) the country that produces it.
See also
Halva
Gaz (candy)
External links
Regulatory Council for Jijona and Alicante varieties
References
Category:Almonds
Category:Christmas food
Category:Christmas in Spain
Category:Confectionery
Category:Valencian cuisine
Category:Catalan cuisine
Category:Spanish cuisine
Category:Italian cuisine
Category:Spanish products with protected designation of origin
