Turròn and marzipan: Spain's festive treats that you can eat all year round

The south of Spain's Valencia region is the birthplace of the famous turrón -- a type of nougat -- and the area that boasts the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Jijona and Turrón de Alicante. Here, the Moors planted almond trees from as far back as the eighth century.

The ingredients of these two types of turrón are the same. But the difference lies in how they are treated, as Ana Picó Filliol, Commercial Director of Turrones Picó told Euronews.

“The one from Alicante is a mixture of sugars made into white caramel with toasted almonds, its texture is crunchy and hard and the almonds are whole."

"The one from Jijona is soft, rather than hard", she added. "Its appearance is very different because it’s brown, and all the almonds are ground and homogenised with their fat and caramel sugars. Let's say that it's an evolution. It has the same ingredients as the one from Alicante, but there is one more step in the process. That's the secret of the turrón de Jijona and of the people of Jijona because you need a very sharp hand and many years of knowledge to know when a turrón de Jijona is perfectly cooked”.

Spanish almond varieties are of exceptional quality: besides their high amount of oligo-elements, minerals and vitamins, they have a high oil content, which makes them soft and juicy and gives them a more intense flavour.

The queen of Spain's almonds is the native Marcona. With its hard shell and flattened shape, it's considered one of the best in the world. 

"The Marcona almond is distinguished from the rest mainly by its shape, which is round and a bit heart-shaped”, Picó Filliol proudly told Euronews. “It is our variety, from here in Jijona".

Honey is another key ingredient. Spain is Europe's main producer of honey, with