Turrón de Alicante

Turrón de Alicante is a hard Spanish nougat: roasted almonds set in a hardened, whitened mass of caramelised syrup cooked from honey, sugars and egg white, sometimes between two wafer sheets. It is an EU protected geographical indication, contains at least 10 % pure honey and may only be made and packed in Jijona. ³

Protection. The name was registered in 1996 by Regulation (EC) No 1107/96, together with the soft Jijona turrón from the same town. ² In 2023 a standard amendment gave the PGI a full product specification and single document for the first time, because a 1996 Spanish order on the Regulatory Board differed from the registered text. ³ The current record is kept in the EU eAmbrosia register. ¹

Two grades. Calidad Suprema has at least 60 % roasted almonds and Calidad Extra at least 46 %; both need at least 10 % pure honey. The percentages refer to the finished turrón, after the heat treatment of cooking, so the grade on the label tells you how much almond is really in the bar. ³

Ingredients. The almonds are sweet almonds (Prunus amygdalus dulcis), clean, sound and roasted at the start of production; the honey is pure bee honey; the egg white may be fresh, freeze-dried or powdered. Sugars, water and cinnamon are also allowed. The wafer is only a coating: it stops bars and pieces sticking to each other or to the fingers when temperature and humidity are not ideal. ³⁴

How it is made. The almonds are roasted in almond roasters. Sugars, honey and egg white are cooked over a high heat in mixers until they caramelise to the so-called ball stage, then the almonds are kneaded in until the mass is glassy and even. This takes about 45 minutes. The mass is spread on cooling tables, weighed, moulded into blocks or round cakes, coated with wafer by hand or by rollers and cut. A master turronero checks every step. ⁴

Packing and label. The pieces are packed in Jijona straight after cutting, so they keep their qualities. Besides the usual food information, the pack shows the brand registered with the Regulatory Board, the name Turrón de Alicante, the grade Suprema or Extra, the net weight and a numbered guarantee label; with the batch code it lets inspectors trace each bar. Slicing blocks in front of the buyer is still allowed, a custom typical of Alicante province before Christmas. ³⁴

History. A 1484 document in the archives of the city of Valencia orders fifteen pounds of black turrón and fifteen pounds of white turrón, the forerunner of Turrón de Alicante. By the 17th century the Jijona turrón already contained cane sugar and egg white, which made it whiter and crunchier. The name comes from the port of Alicante, about 25 km away, from which it was shipped. The specification says Jijona makes more than 60 % of Spain's turrón and other Christmas sweets. ³⁴

Allergens and sugar. Almonds, as tree nuts, and eggs are on the EU list of allergens that has to be emphasised in the ingredients list, so people allergic to them should avoid this nougat. ⁵ WHO counts both added sugars and the sugars in honey as free sugars and advises keeping them below 10 % of daily energy. ⁶

Why it matters to you. The name Turrón de Alicante with the grade Suprema or Extra and the numbered guarantee label means a checkable minimum of 10 % honey and 60 % or 46 % almonds, made in Jijona. ³⁴ It is the hard turrón; the soft one from the same town is Turrón de Jijona. Enjoy it as a treat: it contains nuts, egg and plenty of sugar. ⁵⁶