Gastronomy and its variations on pastry is a veritable institution throughout Spain.
Turrón is a very popular sweet, eaten all year round, but mainly at Christmas.
It's a great idea to bring some back to your family and friends when you return from your stay in Catalonia!
You'll love the rich variety of sweets and pastries on offer in the Catalan capital. Turrón and all its variations, as well as local pastries such as wax, xuixos, ensaïmadas...
From little cookies to Spanish nougat and pastries... you won't know where to start!
Where does "turron" come from?
A special word...
Turrón is a word whose origin is not really known to specialists. It may come from the Catalan "torrar", which is derived from the Latin "torrere" and means "to grill".
Another possibility is that the term originates from "terra", which is similar to the color of turrón.
And what's that?
The base of this sweet includes sugar (lots of it) as well as almonds and egg yolk.
The original nougat has a hard paste.it is cooked at a high temperature.
The "softer" nougat contains more egg white and honey, and is baked at a lower temperature.
A word of advice: be careful with your teeth when biting into hard nougat...!
A French or Spanish specialty?
It's hard to say where turrón or nougat was first consumed.
Specialists have identified writings dating back to the Middle Ages where the famous sweet was eaten on feast days in the Valencia region. But "turrón" is also found in Italy and around the Mediterranean Sea, where honey, almonds and dried fruit are widely used to make sweets.
In France, nougat has been produced since the 18th century in the Marseilles region, as well as in the famous town of Montélimar, where nougat has become one of the world's most popular products. a cultural institution.
Alicante's famous turrón
Although it is consumed throughout Spain, the city par excellence for turron is Jijona or Xixona, a municipality in the province of Alicante.
There's even the Turrón Museum if you absolutely must know everything about the product.
24km from Alicante, the museum, which dates back to 1880, will tell you all you need to know about turrón production, its raw materials and processes, as well as its marketing and history.
And, of course, you can buy turrón in abundance!
MUSEO DEL TURRÓN
+34 965 610 712
info@museodelturron.com
Polígono Industrial Ciudad del Turrón - Pol. Espartal II
Carretera Busot km1. 03100
Xixona - Alicante
What varieties of Turron are there?
Although there is the "classic" turrón, Jijona turrón (soft with powdered almonds) and Alicante turrón (hard turrón with whole almonds), it is now possible to enjoy turrón in all its forms and flavors: chocolate, with hazelnuts, praline, crème catalane (the Catalan version of crème brûlée...)
The most common form is on the shelfBut you can also easily find it in pieces or individual portions...
When to eat touron?
Here's to Christmas!
Especially at Christmas, but it can be enjoyed almost all year round!
During the festive season, touron is on every table after the famous turkey or roast lamb, and confectionery is available in an infinite variety of forms: marzipan, "mantecado" (shortbread cookie with cinnamon or lemon), "polvorón" (very crumbly cookie wrapped in paper made from sugar, milk and flour).
Christmas is, of course, an important festival in Catalonia. The sweets are placed near the nativity scene created for the occasion and then it's the famous " Caga Tió "who gives the gifts.
And yes, it's a very special and slightly scatological tradition, since it's a tree trunk fed by children that, on the day of the festivities, after receiving three strokes of the stick, will "defecate" the presents.
You'll be able to see it in every shop in town during the festive season!
Where can you buy them?
You can buy turrón just about anywhere, and for a lower price, you'll find it in the following places in supermarkets...
You'll have the most popular tourons at your disposal!
Warning: Xixona turrón is a registered trademark!
Coloma Gracia is the famous Xixona brand!
On the Ramblas...
The candy store "Turrons Vincens has been in existence since 1775 and offers a great variety of dishes, in the heart of the Ramblas...
Address : Les Rambles, Quiosco 43 (Barcelona)
They have stores on the Ramblas, but also near La Pedrera and in the Poble Espanyol, as well as in the Boqueria market!
Another famous boutique is "Planelles Donat which specializes not only in turrón but also in Catalan specialties such as horchata and other sweets... They have some very nice assortments to offer!
AddressPortal de l'Àngel 7, 08002 Barcelona
Turrón, the perfect occasion to indulge your sweet tooth!
So yes, don't hesitate to take advantage of these not only tasty, but beautiful sweets that you'll find all over the city.
Enhance them with a good cup of coffee or a horchata!
Don't confuse nougat with touron!
Of course, it seems that touron is a variety of nougat, but the Spanish prefer to call it touron!
Don't make any mistakes, because even if they look alike, they're very different specialties!
You'll also find its little brother in Italy, il torrone!
I hope you enjoy your discovery and, above all, your tasting!
Hello,
Nice article on this famous Spanish nougat! It's also possible to find good touron online. For example, on laplaza.fr . the site offers Supreme tourons made in XIXONA, so they have the famous IGP. Interestingly, you'll find organic turrones on the site, which to my knowledge is unique.