How to Make Jijona or Alicante Nougat
The nougat is the quintessential Mediterranean sweet. Traditionally consumed at Christmas, it has become the preferred dessert for a large part of the Spanish population, but how is Jijona and Alicante nougat made? What ingredients is it made from?
On this page we will explain how we manufacture our nougats in a simple way. Do not miss a single step.
The Original Nougat Recipe
We cannot explain how nougat is manufactured without first discussing the earliest nougats that existed. Primitive nougats were not as we know them today, as they underwent some small changes over time.
The origin of the first nougats is located in ancient Greece and Rome. This nougat was possibly very similar to the current Guirlache Nougat, made with mixtures of nuts and honey. It is logical to find foods of honey mixed with nuts throughout the Mediterranean, as in addition to being a food with high nutritional value, it is simple to make and preserves perfectly.
The recipe for primitive nougat appears to have evolved over time. First, to improve its appearance and texture, egg white was added, and later, when honey became scarce, sugar was added, thus giving birth to Alicante nougat (hard).
Jijona nougat (soft) came later by creating a soft paste with Alicante nougat. If you want to know more, we invite you to read this complete article about the history of nougat.
How Is Nougat Made? The Step-by-Step Process.
The recipe for Jijona and Alicante nougat has been manufactured artisanally in the same way for more than 500 years. Only the incorporation of sugar should be noted.
The most important changes came at the end of the 19th century with the industrialization that occurred globally. The change from wood fire to the use of steam boilers meant that the machinery necessary to manufacture nougat was reinvented and meant that during the 20th century the quintessential typical Christmas sweet was manufactured in greater quantities and reached the whole world.
The nougat manufacturing process is simple but requires a great deal of experience and savoir faire (know-how).
Making nougat at home is very difficult because, in Jijona, each part of the process has an expert who ensures that everything goes perfectly. A small error in any process can mean throwing away a “batch.” Below we show you the nougat manufacturing process organized step by step.
1st - Almond Roasting
In all the recipes in the world there is an indispensable and predominant main ingredient. In the case of nougat, the main ingredient is the almond as it makes up 70% of the product’s weight. The higher quality the almond, the better and tastier the nougat. In our company we use different varieties depending on the type of nougat and the vintage.
The Marcona almond, despite being the most expensive almond on the market, is the one with which the nougat turns out best. Why? Because of its oil, because of its fat. The more oil, the less water and the more flavor. Just like good meat or good Iberian ham, fat is the element that gives flavor to foods. In this case, being fat of vegetable origin, from nuts, it contributes to good cholesterol.
When the almond arrives at our facilities, it is selected and placed in drums called roasters. These drums are similar to concrete mixers and rotate constantly. With the help of controlled fire, the almond is roasted slowly and evenly on all sides. Once roasted to its exact point, as seen in the image, the almond is left to cool at room temperature before entering the mechanical process.
2nd - Caramel Preparation and Mixing.
In our 1854 nougat recipe, caramel refers to the resulting mixture of honey, sugar, and egg white.
These ingredients are mixed in a large pot called a “mechanical” (so called during the industrialization of nougat as it operated on steam). This pot is a kind of Thermomix for making nougat with a mixing function.
First, the sugar and honey are mixed at a constant temperature. Thanks to mixing blades that rotate at constant speed, the so-called caramel is achieved. Once well mixed, the egg white is added, achieving the characteristic white color and creating a perfect emulsion.
This process is a determining factor during the nougat manufacturing process. For this, there is the figure of the “melero” who is the person in charge of making this process perfect. He is responsible for giving the caramel its exact point. This point is commonly known as the “Garguirol Point” or “ball point” and means that the caramel breaks with a slight tap. Just enough to be chewed without breaking our teeth.
3rd - How Is Hard Alicante Nougat Made?
The first nougat made in the recipe is Alicante. Once the caramel is ready, it is time to add the roasted almond to the mixture. With the help of paddles, all the almond is mixed, thus creating the famous Alicante nougats.
Initially, the first steps of the nougat are identical in the Jijona and Alicante varieties, but after this last step, the Alicante and Jijona varieties take different paths.
On one hand, Alicante nougat is boxed and pressed into rectangular molds called “caixons,” creating nougat blocks weighing about 15 kilograms. After a cooling time, the block is cut and divided into the typical nougat bars. On the other hand, the soft variety still has to go through its process.
4th - How Is Soft Jijona Nougat Made? The Stone Mill
Once the hard nougat is manufactured and allowed to cool, it is chopped and added to a large stone mill that grinds it until a liquid and fine paste of almond and honey is achieved. These mills are similar to a conventional flour mill. Depending on the customer, the nougat can be refined more or less. In this step, more roasted almond is added.
5th - The Boixet: Essential for Cooking Nougat
The “boixet” is part of the essential machinery for making Supreme quality Jijona nougat. The soft texture resulting from the mill is introduced into it and heat is applied to create a compact and fine mixture of honey and almond. It is a kind of hot mortar that mainly serves to re-dissolve the honey and sugar so that it is well bound with the almond.
Once the ideal thickness point is obtained, which is exclusively handled by the “arrematador,” the nougat is boxed in molds and left to rest for a minimum of 24 hours. During that time, the almond, which makes up 70%, loses part of its natural oil. Remember, the more oil, the higher the quality.
Once rested and cooled, it is cut manually with a kind of guillotine into traditional bars.
How Is Nougat Made? Complete Video Summary:
We believe the best way to show how we make our nougats is with this summary video of just 2 minutes. In it you can observe the processes described above.
Nougat Ingredients: 100% Natural and Mediterranean
Although there are different types of nougat on the market, in this post we will talk about the Jijona and Alicante varieties. Both the manufacturing process and the ingredients of these two varieties are strongly protected by the Jijona and Alicante Nougat Regulatory Council, an organization created in 1939 from the old nougat makers’ guild of Jijona.
This Regulatory Council of the Protected Geographical Indications JIJONA and TURRÓN DE ALICANTE is responsible for ensuring that strict quality standards are met and that each and every one of the requirements necessary to belong to a Protected Geographical Indication are fulfilled. Among the most notable requirements is the minimum percentage of roasted almond, which will be 64%, and the percentage of pure honey, which will be at least 10%. In our nougats this percentage reaches 70% almond and 15% pure honey.
Another essential requirement is the manufacturing location of the product. All nougat must be manufactured within the municipal district of Jijona (Alicante) and all raw materials must come from Alicante, Castellón, or Valencia, regions characterized by the benign Mediterranean climate.
The ingredients of traditional nougat are simple and always of Mediterranean and natural origin: roasted almond, pure bee honey, sugar, and egg white.
Both sugar and honey are natural preservatives and the almond can easily withstand the passage of time, so artificial preservatives are not necessary. On the other hand, egg white is used as a whitener, so the only colorant used is completely natural.
The fact that the ingredients are all natural demonstrates and reinforces the idea that both the original nougat recipe and its manufacturing process have not changed in centuries. The main change: the industrialization of nougat.
Quality of Artisanal Jijona and Alicante Nougat
The quality of nougat is determined by the minimum percentage of almond and honey. The less almond and honey, the higher the percentage of sugar. In general, 4 different qualities are known: Popular quality nougat. From 30% almond, standard quality nougat. More than 40% almond, extra quality nougat. More than 50% almond, and supreme quality nougat, the best nougat on the market. With more than 60% almond.
In our online store we only sell Supreme Quality nougats. If you are interested in learning all about nougat quality, we invite you to visit our page where we tell you everything.
What Machinery Is Used to Manufacture Our Nougats and Sweets?
Nougat requires different machines during its manufacturing process but the most essential are:
- Almond Roaster: The almond is roasted over low heat in large drums very similar to concrete mixers.
- The Mechanicals: The perfect place to prepare the caramel: honey, sugar, and egg white. The mixing of the caramel with the almond is also carried out in them.
- The Stone Mill: Like flour mills, two large stones grind the almond and caramel to create a soft texture, the origin of Jijona nougat.
- The Boixet: Essential for making Jijona nougat. It is a hot mortar. The soft texture resulting from the mill is introduced into it and heat is applied to create a compact and fine mixture.