Traditions in Spain:Turrón (Nougat)

Turrón (nougat) is a popular traditional sweet at Christmastime which is believed to have been invented in Jijona, a small town which is about 30 miles north of Alicante, over 500 years ago by the Moors (Arabic people).

Much of Jijona's economy is based on turrón production and there is also a museum which shows the production and history of it. This museum is based in the factory that makes the popular brands “El Lobo” and “1880” and if you are lucky enough to visit the museum from mid-June to mid-December, you can actually see it being made from a balcony high above the factory floor.

Traditionally, there are 2 basic types: soft Jijona or turrón blando, which is has the consistency of peanut butter and hard Alicante or turrón duro, which is a thick almond nougat candy which is very similar to peanut brittle.

Honey is a really important ingredient of turrón and this is produced by the bees who feast on the wild flowers which grow on the mountainsides all around Jijona. The honey and also the almonds which are found in the nearby orchards are mixed together to form the delicious turrón which is made by the candy makers who are known as turroneros. A Denomination of Origin for turrón was created in 1939.

Alicante and Jijona Turrón
In order to make Alicante or turrón duro, the almonds are chopped and mixed with the honey and then this is simmered over heat and is constantly stirred using large wooden spoons. Egg whites are then added in order to bind the mixture together and then it left to cool. It is then cut into pieces shaped like bricks and then it's wrapped in paper-thin wafer and is sealed in plastic and then packed. This is a relatively simple procedure, however the procedure for producing Jijona or turrón blando is more complicated. It's made by grinding the cooled turrón duro blocks with almond oil to form a sticky paste. It then gets reheated and is beaten for hours til it's formed a soft even mix. Egg white is then added to bind it and then it's cooled in square metal containers and then it gets cut into thick slices and is packed in plastic.

Other Varieties
There are many new different varities of turrón such as yema (egg yolk), praline, chocolate and kiwi.

Qualities of Turrón

There are different qualities of turrón and there are strict rules applying to the labelling as “Suprema” (supreme) or “Extra”. The best quality is the “Suprema” and to get that label, the soft turrón has to have at least 60% almonds. The hard turrón has to have at least 64% almonds. The next categories are the “Extra”, “Estánder” (standard) and “Popular” (popular). Most factories only produce the turrón “Suprema” or “Extra”. When the typical Spanish housewife visits the supermarket to buy the turrón for her Christmas dinner, she will look out for for the words “Suprema” or “Extra”. The chocolate turrón is delicious and has different qualities based on the percentage of cocoa and milk it contains: “Extrafino” (superfine), “Fino” (fine) and “Popular” (popular). It's made from a base of cocoa butter which is extracted from the cocoa beans. Some chocolate turrón has dried fruits and nuts mixed in the centre.