Turron - a Spanish Tradition

A Spanish chum brought around the selection of turron you see above. We couldn't resist temptation and it came straight out of the packaging to be enjoyed after dinner.

All sweet and all good

Turron, a Spanish sweet traditionally enjoyed from Christmas Eve into the New Year, is now available in more flavours and textures than ever before. The traditional three types, 'egg yolk', 'Alicante' (hard) and 'Jijona' (soft), have been expanded to cater for every taste and dietary requirement. Turron is now almost a generic word for any Spanish Christmas sweet with nuts in it or shaped in the form of a bar. I've enjoyed the traditional three turron varieties, but I've also ventured into those made with rice, sweetened fruits, cream, coconut and cinnamon. All sweet and all good. Cinnamon is a particular favourite.

El Almendro, 1880 and Delaviuda are my preferred brands. El Almendro has been going since 1883, 1880 since 1725 and Delaviuda since 1927, and they all continue to follow traditional recipes and offer products where quality is always present. Another producer worth-noting, much younger but nevertheless promising, is Pablo Garrigos Ibanez.

Rebuild the appetite

Although available throughout the year, I eat so much of it around Christmas that I can pass on it for almost another year and give myself enough time to rebuild my appetite for it again. Mind you, my Spanish connections tell me that turron ice-cream can be a real treat in sunny days after a meal.