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December is the month that Spanish supermarkets make room for turron. This sweet treat is inextricably linked to Christmas. It is mainly eaten as a dessert during this time. The large quantities that supermarkets sell at that time show how widespread the need is among Spaniards to indulge in this traditional treat made from sugar, honey, egg white and usually almonds.
Turron has a long culinary history. It first appeared in the 15th century in the town of Jijona, just north of Alicante. There are different versions about the inspiration for the recipe. The most common is that it was introduced during the Muslim rule in Spain. Others point to an old Greek and an old Roman recipe. Since the early years, interest in turron has also spread to France, Italy and some Latin American countries.
For a long time, the recipes for the different types of turron remained close to the source. But at the end of the last century, everything changed. The turron industry responded to the need for diversification. Since then, all sorts of variations have been sold, including chocolate, dried fruit, whole nuts and coconut. There is now even a sugar-free version on the market. In order to keep the tradition alive, three types of turron have protected geographical status under European law. These are the turrons from Jijona (soft), Alicante (hard) and Agramunt in Catalonia.
For those who really want to delve into the phenomenon of turron, a visit to the museum in Jijona is worthwhile. There you can learn how the delicacy has been produced over the centuries. There is also an interesting collection of all kinds of large and small tools in the museum.
