(Arabic) originTurrón is a very old, traditional sweet of Moorish. It has been a popular sweet for centuries, even outside Spain’s borders. It is said that the Moors invented turrón over 500 years ago in Jijona, a small town about 30 miles or so north of Alicante.
Jijona’s economy is still focused on the production of turrón and there is even a museum of turrón that chronicles the process and history of the sweet.
In addition, it is located within the factory that makes both “El Lobo” and “1880” brands of turrón. If you visit the museum from mid-June to mid-December, you can watch the turrón production from a balcony high above the factory floor.
Types of Turrón
There are two traditional, basic types of turrón: soft Jijona or turrón blando, which is so smooth it has the consistency of peanut butter, and hard Alicante or turrón duro, which is like a thick almond nougat candy, similar to the texture of peanut brittle.
Turrón is made with honey, and the wildflowers that bloom in the mountainsides all around the town of Jijona are food for the bees that produce it. The honey, together with the almonds from nearby orchards forms delicious turrón in the hands of artisan candy makers, called turroneros. In 1939 a Denomination of Origin for turrón from Jijona was created, and in 1991 the rules of the denomination were revised.
- 1 cup of orange blossom honey
- 2 Egg Yolks
- One cup of finely ground almonds
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoons of lemon zest
- 1 egg white, beaten stiff
- Pour the honey into a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat to 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Stir the almonds into the warm honey and remove from heat. Mix the egg yolks, cinnamon, and lemon zest into the almonds. Fold the egg whites into the mixture.
- Line a dish with parchment paper. Pour the mixture onto the parchment paper and smooth to a 1/2-inch layer. Place a sheet of parchment paper atop the mixture and then place a cutting board over the paper; place a few items on top of the cutting board to give it some weight.
- Allow the turron to dry for 3 days. Cut into 1-inch squares to serve.