Marzipan sponge cake recipe
The holiday season, with all its lavish feasting and festivities, often leaves behind a trail of culinary leftovers that end
Surely this is a question you have never even asked yourself. However, Christmas would not be the same without nougat of all kinds on the table, just like the Christmas balls on the tree or the shepherds and their sheep in the Nativity scene.
And, although we could consume it all year round, the truth is that 90% of nougat consumption takes place at Christmas time, but has nougat always been eaten at Christmas? Why do we eat nougat at Christmas?…
More would have wanted the peninsular inhabitants of the fifteenth century to have eaten nougat at Christmas! In those years only a few had that privilege, and those few were the kings and the wealthiest families or nobles.
The first recipe for nougat was found in the library of the Alhambra and dates back to the end of the 15th century. It is believed that it was the Muslims who introduced it, since honey and almonds were traditional ingredients in their gastronomic culture, as was the case in other places near the Mediterranean basin, such as Greece.
It is said that the first nougat was made in Jijona, although Agramunt and Toledo also dispute this great honor; what is certain is that Jijona is the origin of the most popular nougat in the world and the most sought-after today, and it is said that the recipe is the same as it was back then.
Although it is not confirmed, it is said that the name “nougat” could come from its ancient way of elaboration, that is toasted directly on the fire: “torrat“.
At that time, honey and almonds were ingredients that few could afford, so, evidently, nougat was prohibitively expensive for the people.
Later and little by little it became more popular and its prices went down, although it was still a luxury for most people, so it was reserved for the most special moments of the year, such as Christmas. In a short time it became a much desired dessert, so much so that some companies even included it in the Christmas bonus.
The original nougat is known as soft nougat or Jijona nougat, which currently has a Denomination of Origin. It is made using crushed almonds and honey, and it is said that its traditional recipe has changed little since it was first made.
It is followed in popularity by the hard nougat or Alicante nougat, also with Denomination of Origin, and whose main ingredient is whole almonds and egg whites.
Today nougat is no longer a forbidden delicacy, but is so popular that some people can’t, or won’t, wait until next Christmas and eat it all year round.
Spain currently produces some 32,000 tons of nougat per year; and each Spanish household consumes an average of more than half a kilo of nougat.
It is curious to note that it is in Asturias and Catalonia where there are more nougat lovers, while Valencia, origin of nougat, is at the bottom of the list of nougat consumers.
Of all production, we export 15% to other countries, especially France, who follow us as the biggest European nougat gluttons, while the United States takes the lead among non-European countries, followed by the Persian Gulf and Asia.
What is clear is that nougat makes us special. It is a recipe with hundreds of years of tradition that
In Casa Mira we keep a tradition as master nougat makers for decades. Here you can taste
difference between artisan nougat and industrial turron
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