The million dollar question: What is the origin of nougat? Discover the history of this Christmas sweet that dates back to Greek times. Keep reading!
Índice
- The nougat and its history
- The original, Jijona nougat
- The original nougat recipe
- The evolution of nougat from its origin
- Other types of nougat from its origin
- Turrones for this Christmas at Your Spanish Shop
Today you know exactly where you can buy nougat at the best price with an irresistible taste. But do you know where this delicious dessert that has been accompanying us at parties since time immemorial comes from? In today's post, we are going to discover the origin of nougat, that exquisite dessert that pleases us so much.
The nougat and its history
The truth is that the origin of nougat tells several stories. It is an ancient dessert and there are several anecdotes that surround it. However, what we can assure you is that the artisan nougat, the one from Jijona, Spain, originates from the Mediterranean basin.
Now, where in the Mediterranean and by which craftsman does it come from? Many say that it was the last name of a Barcelona pastry chef, Turró, who gave this tasty sweet its name. Others say that it was discovered in an Arab cooking contest, in which it was a matter of looking for a nutritious food that was capable of being preserved in good condition on long journeys so that their armies could move and feed themselves without danger of intoxication.
Others say that it was in Ancient Greece where a kind of honey and dried fruit paste was invented to give energy value to the Greek athletes who participated in the Olympics.
There is even the legend of nougat and the Scandinavian princess. This tells that the king, to please his new wife when he arrived in Spain, planted almond trees throughout his territories to recreate the white landscape that the princess left behind in her lands. From that moment, with Jijona full of thousands of almond trees, its inhabitants began to collect and treat their fruits, thus making the first nougat sweets.
Be that as it may, there are many peoples and cultures that have claimed his invention, but it is his path in gastronomy that has left the traces that mark his own origin. In this way, we can point out that the original nougat is the nougat from Jijona, the one from Alicante, Spain.
The original, Jijona nougat
According to verified historical data, back in the 16th century nougat already existed in the town of Xixona, which is currently known as the Alicante municipality of Jijona. As recognized by the Regulatory Council of the Protected Geographical Indications of Nougat from Alicante and Jijona, this dessert was introduced in Spain by the Arabs. A culture that has been the architect of the invention of many of the best sweets in world cuisine.
On the other hand, why this sweet is so characteristic of Christmas, being its consumption practically exclusive at this time, is a tradition whose explanation is still unknown.
Apparently, in the book "Conduchos de Navidad" from 1584, by Francisco Martínez Montiño, who was Philip II's chief cook, eating nougat at Christmas time was already highlighted as a custom.
In the same way, and be that as it may, as much as we do not know its history and tradition by heart, the truth is that we thank the evolution of gastronomy for giving us today the possibility of enjoying the delicious delicacy that is nougat. .
Since its origin, nougat has become one of the production engines of the gastronomic industry in Spain. And it is the nougat from Alicante and Jijona that has taken center stage due to the high quality of its ingredients and its craftsmanship.
The original nougat recipe
Nougat is a very natural product that is achieved through a simple mix of tasty ingredients. All you need is toasted almonds, pure honey, sugar and egg white.
It is assumed that the original artisan recipe was made only with pure honey and almonds, giving rise to a kind of paste that today would perfectly remind us of Guirlache nougat.
The passage of time gave rise to various elaborations that remind us of the nougat that we know today, but it is in the 16th century that egg white is introduced into its recipe as an emulsifier for honey. Which resulted in a dough with a whiter and more appetizing hue that improved the mixture. And this is how the nougat from Alicante was born.
However, it is from the eighteenth century when Jijona becomes the cradle of nougat.
In these years there began to be a certain shortage of raw materials, such as Marcona almonds and honey, so an ingredient had to be found to solve the lack of other materials. Thus, a small amount of sugar is introduced, which ends up providing a better texture for chewing and resulting in a unique and delicious flavor.
It is then, already in the 19th century, when the original recipe for Jijona soft nougat was born, which already includes honey, almonds, egg white and sugar in its recipe, with a soft texture and different from the rest of the varieties that would occur since the origin of the nougat, such as chocolate nougat, marzipan nougat or toasted yolk nougat.
The evolution of nougat from its origin
It is in the 20th century when the production of nougat and its commercialization occurs in large quantities, due to the rise and technological advances of the industrial revolution. And it is precisely in these years that nougat begins to travel from Spain to other parts of the world, becoming the famous Christmas dessert that we all enjoy today.
Because it is one of the great engines of the gastronomic industry in Spain and its great export, the production of nougat has provided several varieties since its origin.
However, it should be noted that the production process has practically not changed over time, whether it is done through industrial production or in artisanal kitchens.
In fact, it is well known that the art of the nougat process, whether it be the hard one from Alicante, the soft one from Jijona, the one from Guirlache or the Imperial, has been almost the same for centuries.
At first, the almonds to be used are selected, peeled or not, and roasted. At the same time, the mixture, in a container with heat, of honey, egg white and sugars is beaten and diluted in water.
As for the hard nougat from Alicante, during the cooking of the honey, the egg white is added before being mixed with the almonds, so that it acts as a whitening agent. With everything mixed, the resulting paste is molded and covered with wafers to leave it ready after its resting time.
Other types of nougat from its origin
Since the origin of the classic nougat from Jijona and Alicante, certain varieties have emerged in gastronomy that have certainly been delicious for our palates. Therefore, today we can find nougats like Agramunt on the market. A nougat similar to the hard nougat from Alicante, but that includes hazelnuts in its preparation instead of almonds, which it sometimes includes and only if it is the Marcona variety.
We can also enjoy the traditional Catalan nougat, the one with toasted yolk. This is inspired by the incredible flavor of Catalan cream and is the result of using the egg yolks that were left over from the waste when using the egg whites in hard nougats.
Nor can we forget another of its delicious varieties, the Cherta nougat, which is practically like the traditional hard nougat, but like the Agramunt nougat, it substitutes almonds for hazelnuts and is presented in a circular shape and not rectangular as we are used to. watch.
And you could go on and not end with the number of types of nougat that exist today.
Turrones for this Christmas at Your Spanish Shop
You already know the origin of nougat. And now that your mouth will be watering, don't wait any longer and take advantage of the opportunity to find the best nougat offers for this Christmas in your online store Your Spanish Shop, where you can find the dessert that every Christmas dinner needs.