Jijona, Mediterranean nougat

Walking around Jijona, a village located between mountains in the interior of the Alicante’s province, the so-called “La Cuna del Turrón” (the cradle of nougat) at this time of the year, the smell of toasted almonds and honey invades the environment. These two ingredients are essential in the preparation of their famous nougat.

The hard and soft textured nougats made in Jijona, popularly known as “Turrón de Jijona” and Turron de Alicante “, both elaborated in an artisanal way for over five centuries.

Today, the manufacture of this unique sweet of Arab origins is supervised under the watchful eye of an expert in nougat production. The preparation processes conserve the basic operations that were used in the past. Even if new technologies have been incorporated, the traditional methodology has been respected which ensures quality and maintains tradition.

Organoleptic properties

Nougat has become a ritual that comes back to everyone’s homes at Christmas every year, since it has a marked historical and family component, which has now become a tradition. Although, in the last decade, thanks to its organoleptic properties and gastronomic versatility we can consume it any time of the year as an ingredient for other foods (snacks, cookies, chocolates, etc.), turned into ice cream (cones, sorbets or cakes), or as an unique ingredient of sauces, garnishes or fillings for delicious gastronomic dishes.

It has been implemented in author recipes of the most prestigious restaurants in many occasions, which reflects how well it can be combined with numerous products in many ways.

Benefits of Jijona nougat

The exceptional natural, nutritional and healthy properties of this nougat, supported by the scientific-medical community and recognized as typical product within the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle, makes it recommendable for people of all ages. It is beneficial for cholesterol regulation and cardiovascular diseases prevention, since the association of honey and almond is rich in mineral salts, proteins, essential fatty acids and fibres.

Besides, this product contains high levels of vitamin E and antioxidants, which contribute to ease the effect of aging.