Alicante nougat is one of the most traditional Christmas sweets in Spain. In this short article you will learn what Alicante nougat is, where it comes from and what ingredients it is made from.
What is Alicante nougat?
Alicante nougat is a nougat made from lightly roasted almonds and honey. As its name suggests, it comes from the province of Alicante, in the south of the Region of Valencia. There is a protected designation of origin, the Denominación de Origen del Turrón de Jijona y Alicante, which guarantees the quality of all nougat bearing this name. Although Alicante nougat is eaten all year round, the demand for it increases exponentially during the Christmas months. Such is its popularity that Turrón de Alicante can be found in most Spanish homes over the festive period.
The most typical way is to break Turrón de Alicante into pieces and serve on a tray or Plates to be served together with other Christmas sweets such as turrón de jijona, peladillas, marzapanes and polvorones.
Ingredients
The main ingredients for nougat from Alicante are almonds and Honey, both of which will be grown and produced in the province of Alicante. The best turrones use Marcona almonds, which are much more expensive than other almonds, and rosemary honey.
Alicante nougat must contain at least 46% of its weight in almonds, and the designation of origin regulator requires that the honey used has been produced in the Autonomous Community of Valencia.
In addition to almonds and honey, Alicante nougat also contains egg whites and sugars, which are used to make a meringue to which the honey is added a paste that is mixed with the toasted almonds and gives the nougat its typical creamy-white colour.
