At Christmas, traditionally made turron (nougat)

According to the generic definition in the Catalan-Valencian-Balearic Dictionary, turron (nougat) is a ‘pastry made from almonds, pine nuts, hazelnuts or toasted walnuts, with honey and sometimes with sugar, egg white, etc., and cooked to a variable consistency; it is a delicacy typical of the Christmas festivities. Nougat is the most typical and traditional Christmas sweet in our regions, although it was originally a dessert of wealthy homes and was eaten on special occasions. For example, there is written evidence that nougat was part of the menu at the wedding of the daughter of King Jaime I.

In Mallorca, turrón was mostly made at home: the ingredients were started to be prepared days before the festivities and left ready for the Christmas vigil on 24 December. According to tradition, they could only be eaten at the end of the Misa del Gallo (Midnight Mass) and were eaten on the 25th. The basis of nougat in Mallorca is the almond: harvested at the end of summer, peeled, and cracked during September and kept accompanying both hot and savoury dishes. For this reason, the first nougats documented in Mallorca are almond nougats – such as the ‘tambor guirlache de almendra,’ ‘coca de turrón’, ‘turrón de almendra tostada’ and ‘mazapán’ (marzipan).

Nowadays, when the market is saturated with offers, prices, and tastes (the most bizarre is the most viral!), it is worth opting for nougat made in the traditional way. It is a guarantee of the excellent work of the bakers, who use a quality product and artisan methods to make it.

As part of the purest island tradition, one of the most traditional and simple turrones is coca de turrón (or turrón de barquillo or barquillo de turrón). Although it can be bought everywhere, Forn i Pastisseria Trias in Es Secar de la Real has decided to focus its production on four types, all made with local products and flavours and with exquisite results: almond, carob, figs with Tres Caires aniseed and dried apricot from Porreres with chocolate.

Another nougat with a long history is the toasted almond nougat, praised by Archduke Luis Salvador and Pere de Alcántara Peña at the end of the 19th century. It is worth mentioning those bakeries where it is prepared in the form of a bar following the island tradition, such as Forn Fondo de Palma.

As for purely local Christmas sweets, the pan dulce (sweet bread) made by the Pastisseria Ca’n Roca in Manacor stands out, and as for the recovery of convent and manor house recipes – and therefore very different in origin from the popular turrones – the work done by the Fornet de la Soca, where you can find royal fish pastry, casques or tortada real, among many other preparations.

Many of our craftsmen and craftswomen can improve the offer and go one step further. A good example of this is the Llucmajor turrón made in Llucmajor by Forn i Pastisseria Ramis, an exclusive creation in which the most emblematic monuments of the capital of El Mitjorn are screen-printed with chocolate; or, for example, the fine turrones made by Pastisseria Pomar, such as orange, Amazona rum or chestnut, the latter already documented in Mallorca in the 19th century when this fruit was imported from Montseny.

Marzipan – a name of Arab origin and well documented in the pages of Tirant lo Blanc (15th century) – is also a sweet that has been present on Mallorcan tables since ancient times. In many bakeries it is confectioned to perfection, such as Can Delante in Inca or Can Segura in Muro, among many other bakeries.

At the end of Christmas, the roscón de Reyes, an imported sweet that is here to stay, can only be enjoyed to the full if it is prepared in an artisan way, as it is at Forn Nou de la Vileta in Palma. As part of this festivity, we must not lose sight of one of the most unique creations, the greixonera or ‘sopes de Reyes’, which today only a few bakeries make, such as Can Rafel in Búger. It is, after all, a sweet inspiration of Mallorcan soups.

Tomàs Vibot is a writer, researcher and disseminator of culture and heritage.