Do you know which are the best nougats in Spain for you to enjoy this Christmas? We tell you about it on the Your Spanish Shop blog!
Índice
- The best in Spain? traditional nougat
- How to know if it is your quality nougat?
- The best nougat in Spain at Your Spanish Shop
What would a Christmas be without nougats? At Your Spanish Shop we don't know, nor will we know, because there is nothing we like more than tasting at these parties with the sweetest flavor of our land. And you, do you know which are the best nougats in Spain? We tell you about it in this post so that you can enjoy the most incredible flavors and high-quality products for these very special dates.
The best in Spain? traditional nougat
In Spain, when we talk about nougats we can feel really proud. It is a product that we have been perfecting since its appearance in our land in the 16th century.
And thanks to the fact that we are facing an ancient flavor, our gastronomy has been able to obtain incredible flavors of nougats made with all the care and attention that only artisan hands are capable of creating.
Over time, our artisans have innovated and experimented to present different flavors of nougat. Thus, there are currently nougats of all kinds and flavors, from the most traditional originating in Alicante and Jijona, to the most innovative flavored donuts or pistachios.
After all, the taste for nougat depends on each one, since we usually choose them for their flavor, sensations, tradition, brand... But, then, how do we know which are the best nougats in Spain?
At Your Spanish Shop we have our own criteria to be able to consider a nougat as one of the best Spanish products. And the one we like the most is the traditional nougat.
Why? Because it meets all our criteria to consider it the best: flavor, nutrition, quality of the ingredients, craftsmanship and brand.
To begin with, did you know that the more almonds the nougat has, the less amount of sugar it contains and, therefore, the better quality it has?
How to know if it is your quality nougat?
Therefore, in terms of quality, flavor and nutritional value, traditional artisan nougats such as the hard one from Alicante and the soft one from Jijona are products that contain less sugar and additives that result in a caloric bomb for our body, which is what happens in occasions with nougats that move away from the traditional flavor.
That said, the traditional nougats with Denomination of Origin (D.O), which are those of Alicante and JIjona, contain ingredients from our land of exquisite quality. These are made with honey, sugar, egg white and almonds, being toasted on the hard side and ground on the soft side.
In fact, almonds are the main and star ingredient of these sweets and the one that really determines their quality so that we can consider them the best in Spain.
What's more, we recommend that if you see a traditional nougat that contains less than 46% almonds, it is better that you pass by and continue looking until you find a good nougat.
For this, the best thing you can do is have the necessary information to know how to identify a quality nougat through the existing categories in these products according to the presence of their almonds in the final product. These are:
Supreme Category: 64% in Jijona and 60% in Alicante.
Extra Category: 46-50%.
Standard Category: 40%.
Popular Category: 34%.
These are the categories with which you can identify if it is a quality product. However, to find out what really distinguishes a good nougat, we must refer to what the highest responsible body that identifies the quality of traditional nougats says, the Jijona and Alicante Protected Geographical Indication Regulatory Council.
This council is in charge of guaranteeing and endorsing the origin and quality of the ingredients used to make the different nougats.
According to its regulations, "the raw materials used must be included in Regulation 04/23/96, in article 11 of the Official State Gazette". Thus, the honey used is pure bee honey and must have a minimum presence of 10%. As for the almond, it must occupy, at least, 64% of raw materials in the soft one from Jijona and 60% in the hard one from Alicante, as we have already mentioned.
The best quality nougat: the nougat from Alicante and Jijona D.O.
Regarding the origin of this ingredient, there are many varieties from different territories of Spain. But, if we look at the products with Denomination of Origin, it is detailed that for the Alicante or Jijona nougat some requirements must be met to consider them as such: that they have been made in the municipality of Jijona, that honey and almonds belong to the regional areas of Alicante, Castellón and Valencia and that have followed in detail the traditional processes in the percentages of their ingredients and preparation.
In fact, the nougat from Alicante and Jijona with D.O belong to the Supreme Category and contain raw materials with great energy power. In addition, they are rich in carbohydrates, carbohydrates or saccharides, biomolecules made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen that provide very fast energy, vegetable fats, proteins, vitamins and mineral salts.
In fact, another factor that determines its quality due to its nutritional value is the fat used to make the nougat, since it is characterized by the absence of cholesterol.
Therefore, although this product is not for recurrent consumption, at least we can make sure that we are enjoying a tasty, high-quality flavor that does not unnecessarily harm our body with a large amount of sugars and additives.
The best nougat in Spain at Your Spanish Shop
At Your Spanish Shop we have extensive experience and great criteria with which we are able to select the best products of Spanish origin. Thus, for our Christmas special we have the best nougat in Spain whose raw materials used in the production process are of high quality, as well as coming from the Mediterranean area.
Therefore, within our offer you will find traditional nougats from the best brands in our country, such as Almendro, Delaviuda, El Abuelo, Doña Jimena and Vicens, among others.
And yes, although we consider that the best nougats in Spain are the traditional artisan ones such as the hard nougat from Alicante or the soft nougat from Jijona, you can also find incredible flavors in quality nougats that come in different varieties, such as toasted yolk nougat, truffle nougat , chocolate and others, so you can enjoy the best assortment.