How is turron made?
Formally, the Technical Sanitary Regulation defines Turrón as a dough obtained by cooking honey and sugars, with or without egg white or albumin, with subsequent incorporation and kneading of toasted almonds, peeled or with skin. Honey can be replaced totally or partially by sugars in its different classes and derivatives.
The most popular turron classes are the Turrón de Jijona and the Turrón de Alicante, famous all over the world. Its process of elaboration is not simple, because it must follow some necessary steps and nothing trivial. In addition it requires a special machinery and almost unique in the production of sweets, as the boix, the mechanics, the moli ...
The Turrón de Jijona and Alicante have the same ingredients, and follow almost the same processing steps. We will explain it in broad strokes below:
ALICANTE turron
On one side the honey is heated. Mix in the mechanics with sugar and egg white. Add the peeled and toasted almonds. It dries in the air. It is put in rectangular boxes and it is part in bars. Vacuum lamination and packaging.
At the end of the process of the elaboration of the hard turron is different to that of the soft turron, since it adds diluted egg white as whitener, hence its color. When the added water is evaporated along with the egg white, then the almond marcona toasted is added.
turron with designation of origin of Alicante guarantees that at least 10% of the turron composition is honey, and at least 60% almond in the turron of Alicante. (64% of almond in the case of soft turron). The honey must come from the Valencian Community.
The turron Alicante or hard, is a typical Christmas candy especially in the area of Alicante, however, every day is becoming a timeless product as people buy more and more online, and there is a foreign demand.
JIJONA turron
On one side the honey is heated. Mix in the mechanics with sugar and egg white. Add the peeled and toasted almonds. It dries in the air. Unlike the turron of Alicante, then the mixture is made to pass mills that give a degree of refinement.
Then the dough passes to the boixets, which are metal vats or containers in the form of a hot mortar. Mestre Torroner and Arremataor play a fundamental role here, mixing the product with a few blades, making a harmonious and compensated movement. It is they who determine the optimum point of the turron of Jijona. Every teacher has his point and that is why it is very difficult to always make the same turron. Never comes the same turron.
As we see, it is not an industrialized process, but requires the wisdom of the teachers to finish the product. Finally cut into rectangular bars and vacuum packed.
In Jijona they say that a microclimate exists, unique in all Spain and the most understood (and perhaps nostalgic) affirm that here is the secret of the turron elaborated in Jijona. There are turbron companies that have opened factories in other areas of Spain and the world, such as Argentina and Cuba, and claim that the turron has a special flavor if it is only made in Jijona. Do not look for more mystery. It is also said that on cold and dry days a great turron comes out. We can observe that the long traditions carry great legends ... Each mastery has its booklet. When making a good turron, we must take care that the almond is equally toasted on all sides and surface, that the honey, sugar and clear mixture is well caramelized, that there is a correct balance between the ingredients used and that has A proper baking and dressing point. With respect to the almond, we can say that it is the basic ingredient of the turron and the one that really makes it expensive. There are different types of almond, such as Marcona, Planeta, Mollar, Mallorca, Valenca ... However, the preferred and best suited to a good turron is the Marcona variety.
THE MARZIPAN
Marzipan, of Arab origin, is composed of ground almond, sugar and egg white. The best-known products made with marzipan are Gloria cakes, Yema cakes, Pan de Cadiz, Yema y Batata casks, Yummy or Glory pies, Huesitos de Santo, figuritas, Nuts al Fondant, Piñonates ... Pastry products Which can not be missing at your table at Christmas.
For the elaboration of marzipan it is necessary to grind the almond. On the other hand will boil sugar with water at a certain temperature (about 30 °, depending on the type of marzipan desired). Finally, once the optimum point of the sugar is obtained, it is mixed with the almond in a kneader that will stir the dough continuously. Like the turron, it takes the hands of a teacher with experience and knowledge to determine the optimum point of the marzipan. The same marzipan is not always obtained, although it is also important to note that it also influences the almond used. Sometimes it is more humid than others, or it is more ground than others ... And finally, remember that it is cause for joy to think that every Christmas, very emotional dates, is present the effort of Jijona in many homes in the world.
There are many ways to find marzipan, and all have a very characteristic flavor, the most known are:
· GLORIA PASTRIES: sweets with a layer of marzipan stuffed with egg yolk and sweet potato (similar to a sweet potato) rolled in ground sugar and sprinkled. They have their origins in the convents of nuns.
· YEMA PASTELS: similar to cakes of glory but without potatoes.
· CADIZ BREAD: several rectangular layers of marzipan, yolk, sweet potato, glazed fruit and turron covered by another layer decorated with marzipan.
· CASCA DE YEMA AND POTATO: marzipan stuffed with yolk or sweet potato in the form of rosco.
· YEMA AND GLORY PIE: Marzipan dumplings filled with sweet potato and / or yolk.
· HUESITOS DE SANTO: layer of marzipan rolled and stuffed with yolk or potato. Very typical on All Saints' Day (November 1st).
· FIGURITAS DE MAZAPÁN: generally they are simply of marzipan, without any filling, and they mold figures of animals, of the sea, of objects ...
· NUTS TO FONDANT: marzipan balls with egg-shaped nuts glazed with sugar.
· PIÑONATES: marzipan balls with pine nuts glazed with sugar.