The Origin of Turrón and Its History
The origin of nougat is uncertain and is not in Italy, as many believe. In all likelihood, the origins of artisan nougat, the Christmas sweet currently made in Jijona (Spain), are found somewhere in the Mediterranean basin.
Dozens of anecdotes have been told regarding the history of turrón. These range from the surname of a Barcelona pastry chef named ‘Turró’, an Arabic cooking competition, the legend of the Scandinavian princess’s turrón, to the ‘De Medicinis’ treatise. Regardless, many peoples have claimed its origin and invention, though throughout time, we always find its indelible mark on gastronomy, traveling from continent to continent and sweetening the great palaces of the entire world.
Over the years, traditional nougat built its own identity and characteristics until it became a sweet linked to Christmas and the economic engine of an entire town, Jijona (Alicante). Do you want to know the history and origin of Soft Almond nougat (Jijona)? Don’t look at the encyclopedia, we tell you all the information here:
First Indications of the Origin of Turrón
Currently, both Soft Almond nougat (Jijona) and Hard Almond nougat (Alicante) are handcrafted in Jijona. However, all indications suggest that its birthplace, the origin of the first nougat, is not in this town of Alicante.
It is true that soft nougat was invented in Jijona and hard nougat (Alicante) was also, to a certain extent, but it took about 1,000 years of history to reach the form we know today.
As if it were an epic poem, the history of turrón must have begun somewhere near the Mediterranean Sea before the Christian era. Most likely, the ancient Greeks and Romans were already familiar with a very similar food and ate it during their long journeys. It is impossible not to think that its origin lies in a mixture of nuts and honey. This food is highly nutritious by nature, easy to prepare, resistant to the passage of time, and perfect for the few preservation methods available at the time.
Another possible origin of Spanish turrón, indirectly, is found in ancient Mesopotamia (Middle East) around the 2nd century BC, as it bears a certain similarity to traditional Baklava—pastries of Turkish/Arabic origin made with phyllo dough and filled with crushed nuts mixed with honey. These are the same ingredients as turrón but presented differently.
The origins of turrón in Spain arrived at the hands of the Arabs who inhabited the land from 711 to 1492. It was likely the Muslim people who introduced the custom of mixing nuts with honey into our lands for confectionery.
In Spain, the Alicante region (especially its mountains) was strongly linked to the cultivation of almond trees, and there were beehives for natural honey and thyme. Ingredients, again, of the nougat. That is why the circumstances were ideal for its elaboration, origin and evolution of nougat in our geographical area.
The Original Turrón
As mentioned, current Alicante and Jijona nougats have little in common with the original nougat that we currently have in our nougat catalog.
In their origins, historical nougats had an appearance similar to the Guirlache we know today. Its easy preparation (toasting almonds with skin and mixing them with cooked honey made it an ideal food as well as being very energetic and versatile, since not only toasted almonds were used to make nougat, but also hazelnuts, pine nuts and walnuts.
In fact, by the year 1400, a geographical specialization had already been created in the peninsula based on the nut that was most widely cultivated: on the northern Mediterranean coast, hazelnut turrón was made. In the southern plateau and Andalusia, pine nut or walnut turrón was produced, and on the southeastern coast, in the Alicante region, toasted almond turrón was the specialty.
One of the first written mentions in the history of traditional turrón appears in the mid-16th century, when the popularity of turrones was such that it appeared in plays like “La Generosa Paliza” by Lope de Rueda from Seville, a precursor to the Golden Age, where the main plot revolves around the theft of a pound of Alicante turrones.
It is said that Philip II was the one who introduced the history of turrón into the Christmas gastronomy of the Court; however, by the time of the reign of his father, Charles V, it was already very well known.
Something that is documented from that era is the waste of money caused by the Alicante authorities giving turrones as Christmas gifts to lawyers and managers in the capital cities. There are even records indicating that different types of turrones served as payment in kind, replacing part of a salary.
One of the first official mentions of the origin of turrón appears in 1582, in a document from the municipality of Alicante which states that:
"From time immemorial, every year, it is customary for the Christmas holidays to pay (...) their salaries, part in money and part in a gift given to them, consisting of an arroba of nougats (...)."
For that reason, there is also a letter signed by King Philip II in 1595 in which he exhorts the reduction of Christmas expenses:
"that in nougat and fig bread for Christmas presentation, I prohibit and command that my city [of Alicante] may not spend more than fifty pounds each year."
The Commercialization of Turrón Throughout History: The 17th Century
Turrón had great potential, and its artisans knew this very well, setting out to sell it in as many countries as possible.
The turrón makers of the early 16th century improved the presentation of their product and prepared the turrón for long journeys across Europe. Just as exotic products from North Africa and Italy (spices and jams) arrived through the port of Alicante, turrones were exported worldwide as a luxury item.
One of the main innovations in nougats during the 1500s was the use of egg white as an emulsifier for the honey, which gave it a white tone that was more appetizing and improved the mixture, thus giving birth to the Hard Almond Nougat (Alicante) we know today.
With the aim of improving the transport of turrón 300 years ago, poplar wood boxes began to be used. This wood does not transmit odors or flavors to the turrón and also absorbs part of the oil released by the almonds, thus keeping the turrón away from moisture and improving its preservation.
In 1608, the historian Gaspar Escolano relates in his decades of the general history of Valencia that:
"An admirable collection of turrones which, placed in small boxes, travel through Europe as a thing of great Gift."
From 1622, there is a list detailing the price of each Nougat. The image on the left shows that the number one on the list is Alicante.
The History of Jijona as the Cradle of Turrón
It was not until the 18th century that Jijona became the cradle of the nougat we know today.
During the Middle Ages and later, professionals usually belonged to guilds. A guild is a group of professionals who share the same trade. In some places, they were so notable that even today, streets still exist with the names of those trades where the guilds were located. At this time, turrón makers were not considered tradespeople, like potters or shoemakers. They were primarily farmers who, during a specific time of year, typically dedicated themselves to making and selling turrones.
Quickly, with the continuous growth in sales, the confectioners’ guild—the only ones authorized to use sugar and make marzipan—complained, and the Madrid guild quickly succeeded in limiting the sale of turrones to 15 days before and 15 days after Christmas.
For their part, the confectioners of Valencia insisted that the activity of manufacturing turrones should be subject to their Statutes, authority, and consent, thereby forcing turrón makers to open and close shops when they wished, to earn the title of master confectioner after an examination, and to pay the corresponding fee to the guild. A 17th-century version of Don Vito Corleone.
In the municipal archive of the province of Alicante, documents are preserved from the “Nougat Lawsuit” between nougat makers and the confectioners’ guild of Valencia (Gremi de Sucrers i Cerers). The Alicantinos argued freedom and historical elaboration of the sweet and the Valencians the privilege to control the manufacture and use of sugar and honey.
The judicial process that began in 1665 finally ended on May 6, 1671 in favor of the Valencians. This attempt at control meant the end of the nougat industry in the city of Alicante, as stated by Francisco Figueras y Pacheco in his book “History of Nougat and Priority of those from Jijona and Alicante” (1955)
When that trial ended, the inhabitants of the town of Sexona, now Jijona, were the ones who took over the entire production of nougats. Being a small population, they went completely unnoticed by the guilds and would remain so until the abolition of the privileges they had with sugars. From that moment on, Jijona historically became the Cradle of Nougat.
The Origin of Soft Jijona Turrón
In the 18th century, turrón grew so much in history and fame that, in addition to different varieties appearing, raw materials began to run short due to its manufacture: Marcona almonds were scarce and there was not enough honey. The people of Jijona then began to add a small amount of sugar to the mixture, which helped create a texture that was easier to chew, thus giving rise to the origin of the Alicante turrón recipe we know today.
The origin of Soft Almond nougat (Jijona) was born in the 19th century. This contribution was a great success in gastronomy: a sweet with a soft texture, completely original and different from all other varieties (such as chocolate nougat, marzipan nougat, or toasted yolk nougat).
Initially, soft nougat from Jijona consisted of grinding Hard Almond Nougat (Alicante) in a stone mill while cold until a soft dough paste was obtained, which allowed children and the elderly to eat it. But the recipe was improved by applying heat and giving it a second boiling after grinding to break up the honey crystals.
Therefore, some time later, the “boixet” was invented. This is a heated mortar that, after crushing the Alicante turrón, causes all the ingredients to bind together again, creating the fine and smooth mass of soft turrón. This new item soon achieved the status of a luxury product.
The Birth of the Turrón Industry
Throughout the 19th century, the proliferation of global industry also occurred proportionally within the turrón industry. This led to the birth of many turrón brands, including ours in 1854 under the name Hijos de Antonio Monerris: Wenceslao Monerris.
It should be noted that Turrones la Colmena is the first nougat brand registered in the Trademark and Patent Office on 1897-12-04.
Other manufacturers from the late 19th century that still endure today include Turrón 1880, or Antonio Monerris Planelles (El Almendro).
One of the true revolutions in the History of Nougat was the incorporation of steam. In 1905 a turronero operator named Francisco Mira Miralles, adapted the “Boixet” to steam. This made it possible to control the processing temperature, thus increasing production considerably.
The installation of steam engines multiplied, and by 1914 Jijona had 25 industries and at least 150 artisans selling original nougat in Spain and abroad. The adaptation of steam to the nougat industry became an advertising claim, as shown in our company’s advertising of the time.
The history of turrón, a typical sweet, shows us that entire families from Jijona traveled the world selling their turrones and sweets at Fairs and, in November, during the coldest part of autumn, they would set up inside the doorways of houses near the centers of all cities. Some Jijona locals still exist in these primitive shops selling varieties of turrón in the doorways of Barcelona, Madrid, etc.
Demand grew so much that throughout the 20th century, the people of Jijona built dozens of turrón factories wherever they were sold. Not only in our country: Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, Venezuela, Oran, Algiers, Fez, Rabat, and Casablanca were territories where artisanal turrón workshops were founded. Up to 4 factories were established in Oran, which was then a French colony. These factories closed with the independence of those countries and with the Spanish Civil War.
An important event in the history of turrón occurred on August 18, 1939. On this date, the Regulatory Council for the exclusive Jijona Designation of Origin was founded and established. This entity was the predecessor of the current IGP Regulatory Council for Jijona and Alicante nougat. Council that works for the protection and quality of nougat. This council was the successor of the Gremio de Turroneros, created in 1904.
In the mid-1940s, large shopping centers and supermarkets like Galerías Preciados, among others, proliferated. This led to marzipans and polvorones being purchased directly there and caused the closure of many of the shops that occupied the aforementioned doorways.
Turrón in the 20th Century: International Success
The success of turrón was unstoppable throughout its history, and 1962 became one of the best years on record for turrón sales.
A historic order caused Jijona to have to multiply its nougat production several times: A state delegation from Castro’s Cuba requested from the Jijona manufacturers a bar of nougat with a designation of origin for every Cuban adult and a smaller one for every child. This caused Jijona to grow both in population and urban extension. As Fernando Galiana (mayor and chronicler of the time) relates
Video: Turrón in the NO-DO
"The orders are shipped on their date and paid for religiously at the moment they are stowed in the holds of that vessel."
These shipments lasted until 1971, when Cuba stopped making that historic order, most likely due to the political and economic situation in Cuba. This caused difficulties in Jijona, as they did not receive a full order of nougats from a country from one year to the next. This is documented in the Spanish newsreel of the time NO-DO. Here is a video compilation.
1990: The Turrón Crisis
At the end of the 20th century, a strong crisis hit the global economy, and in our country, the agri-food sector was particularly affected. This was mainly due to the bursting of the Japanese real estate bubble and the price of oil resulting from the Gulf War. The effects were not immediate, thanks primarily to public investment in the 1992 Olympics and the Seville Universal Exposition.
The crisis reached Spain in mid-1995, when the worst drought of the 20th century was recorded, leading to water supply cuts in many parts of the south of the country, causing enormous losses in agriculture and the agrarian sector.
This considerably increased the price of Marcona almonds, pure bee honey, and egg whites, and led to the closure of several important companies in the sector. It is said that no peladillas were made that year. This crisis lasted until 1997.
Turrón in the 21st Century
The 21st century is bringing many things to nougat. Although nougat is a product with hundreds of years of history and that has changed very little with respect to how it was originally. Currently, the philosophy in Jijona is to continue with the same respect for the tradition of crafting a unique treasure.
The main change in 21st-century turrón has been the internet. Technology has given way to new sales channels that did not exist in the past, such as selling turrón online. The proliferation of websites, smartphones, and the internationalization of turrón has meant that this food can be sold directly to the consumer from its source in just a few clicks, even if it is just a single bar.
New sweets made with chocolate coating mixed with turrón are reaching the market. This contribution adds new experiences for our customers.
Another change that turrón has undergone in the 21st century is the increase in production in a controlled manner without changing its recipe, using new intelligent machinery such as scales, thermometers, cutters, and packaging machines.
Finally, the innovation of turrón in offering different formats is evident. The commitment to consuming turrón in all seasons begins with the incorporation of our historic turrón into modern dishes and recipes. An example of this is our Turrón Cream, ideal for recipes and desserts, or our Turrón Paste, ideal for the pastry industry.
