Turron or nougat is made in the town of Jijona.
Jijona is situated in the heart of the Costa Blanca .
Nougat is a part of the gastronomy.But also a part of the culture and traditions in Spain.
There are several sort of turron.
Turron
First, all sort are made of ingredients from the Alicante region.
So, the origin of the turron almonds go back to the times of the Moors or Arabs.
In the past, the Moors were responsible for the invention of this sweet. They brought their original recipe from Africa and the Middle East.
If the sweet is hard , in Spain they call it : “Turron Duro”.
In fact , “Supreme ” has 60 % of Almonds. While, “Extra ” contains 42 % of almonds.
Also good to known, every where in Alicante in February almonds tree are blossoming
A spectacular view, only for two weeks in a year .
Beside the Turron Duro there is also a Turron Blando, a soft nougat.
With the same amount of almonds.
Both nougats Duro or Blando have at least 10 % pure honey .
For the Spanish people it is a sweet seduction for Christmas ” Navidad”.
But visitors from all over the world enjoy nougat at any time of the year.
Christmas and new year treat
Indeed, turron is the most popular Christmas and New year treat.
It has been popular for ages.
During the month of december, it is sold nearly everywhere in the shops across Spain.
For Spanish people Christmas of New Year is not complete without the sweet tradition.
Even when there are living in other country’s.
It is also a treat on the evening of “Los Reyes”, the 5th of January.
Turron Blando and turron Duro
Thus, there are two sorts of Spanish nougat.
In fact, the Blando and the Duro.
The first is soft, sweet and nutty.
The other is also sweet but is hard.
While, the color of the sweet can been very different.
We have seen white but also brown.
After all, the colors depends from the ingredients. The amount of honey, egg and almonds.
Some add fruit, other more eggs, other chocolate.
Now, you can find turron flavored ice, I like it !
For instance, in the Alicante region, there are many almonds trees. In the wild there are many flowers and herbs such as lavender, thyme, or rosemary. This flowering herbs attracts the bees, who create a wonderfully honey. And the honey is one of the ingredients of the sweet temptation.