GERMAN supermarket chain Aldi has announced a major expansion plan for Spain in 2024, with its distribution centre in Sagunto (Valencia province) set to open next month and a another one on the cards for the north.
World's longest turrón served up: A holiday staple that's a whole culture in itself
26/09/2021
ANOTHER world food record has been smashed in Spain – a fairly typical, or at least very popular one – although some might say it has happened at the wrong time of year.
Turrón, rather like panettone, plum pudding, turkey and yule logs, is not conventionally eaten in September, but the amount consumed nationwide in the space of a day or two is normally enough to keep manufacturers' bills paid for the remaining 360-plus days.
That said, a lean Christmas, especially in times of financial crisis or, like in 2020, when nobody felt like or was able to celebrate properly, can be disastrous for an industry that has to then wait a whole calendar year to 'try again'.
For this reason, you can still find turrón in the supermarkets at any time of year, albeit occupying much-reduced shelf space, rather than taking over the entire store the way it does all through December.
After all, nobody would refuse to eat a chocolate egg just because 'it's not Easter yet'.
A brief back-story about turrón
Whilst popular all over the country and even imported by the tonne to the USA, turrón is more typically found on sale in the Comunidad Valenciana, the part which occupies about a third of the east coast stretch – it may not be de rigueur for the holidays in Madrid, Barcelona or Andalucía, for example, but it's almost impossible to escape for those living in the provinces of Alicante, Valencia and Castellón.
That's because it was traditionally made in the inland southern-Alicante province town of Jijona – largely, it still is, but has a much wider audience nowadays.
Given that its main ingredients are almond and honey – with a bit of whipped egg-white – it is thought to have originated during the Mediaeval era when Spain's predominant ethnic was Arab, as this community introduced both these plant-based goods into the country.
Two main types exist – turrón blando ('soft'), made with almonds ground to powder and which has a consistency rather like solidified peanut butter and is extremely filling, and turrón duro ('hard'), which is a rock-like white nougat with the almonds in it whole.
Other variations that pass for turrón are somewhat distanced from the original recipes, and even include chocolate, fondant-like confectionery, marzipan, or coconut ice – but near Christmas, almost anything that comes in the format of a large, thick bar is known as a turrón, since the name literally means 'slab' or 'slice' in food terms.
A slice of the action
Until this week, the world record for the longest-ever turrón was 55 metres (about 180'5”), but Alicante Gastronómica 2021 – this year's Alicante Culinary Fair – has extended it even further.
It's one of the most dynamic, as world records go – the longest on earth made in December 2012 by Basque celebrity chef Martín Berasategui was 45 metres, and the 40-metre record for the longest chocolate version was broken at New Year 2020 in Villanueva de la Serena (Badajoz province, Extremadura), with a 42-metre slab.
The latest street-length turrón blando was whipped up by master confectioner Roberto Picó 'Triana', behind the prolific turrón brand name Picó, using 270 kilos (595lb 4oz) of the mixture, and was made in tribute to the legendary turrón 'king', José Enrique Garrigós.
It is only a metre (3'3”) longer than the previous record-breaker, at 56 metres (about 183'8”) but is enough to replace the local industry's own entry in the Guinness Book of Records.
This was verified, officially, at the fair, meaning it should appear now in the 2022 edition.
The ceremonious turrón-slicing event, following the measuring and documenting, was a team effort involving various top chefs in the province – Susi Díaz from La Finca, in Elche, which has one Michelin star and two Repsol 'suns'; the Torres brothers, from the eponymous two-Michelin-starred Restaurante Hermanos Torres; and Óscar Velasco, who has a Michelin star of his own and whose career and training mostly took place at Restaurante Santceloni – and also 'farmfluencer' Miquel Montoro, who describes himself as an 'Agro-YouTuber'.
All members of the public present were given a free slice, and it is likely there is still enough left over for hundreds or even thousands of people and that many were able to take home some spares, given that a typical portion of between a finger and two or three centimetres (an inch) is normally more than sufficient to sate one's appetite until at least the next morning.
The man we need to thank for our nutty Noël sugar-rush
José Enrique Garrigós, in whose honour the record-breaking turrón was made, is commonly known as 'the sweetest man in the province of Alicante', and as well as being a key promoter of the annual Culinary Fair, and 'fond of great challenges', is 'a staunch defender of the Mediterranean diet' – which he is firmly convinced turrón should form an essential part of, according to fair director Carlos Bañó.
He used to be chairman of the brand regulatory council for turrón – a type of organism which all foods and drinks with an official certificate of origin, such as Greek yoghurt and feta cheese, are governed by to ensure the purity of the product and that it is made where it claims to be.
As an example, anything resembling turrón but not made in the Alicante-Jijona area, or made abroad, cannot officially be called as such, rather like how thick yoghurt not from Greece has to be labelled as 'Greek-style yoghurt'.
Additionally, José Enrique Garrigós was chairman of Alicante Chamber of Commerce from 2009 to 2016, meaning he has had his fingers in numerous top-level food pies in the area and is a culinary household name.
Alicante Gastronómica 2021 will also pay tribute tomorrow (Monday) to chefs Lucio Blázquez – 'Madrid-born but alicantino by adoption', according to the programme, and who runs the restaurant Casa Lucio – and José Manuel Varó, the first-ever culinary professional in the province to earn a Michelin star.
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ANOTHER world food record has been smashed in Spain – a fairly typical, or at least very popular one – although some might say it has happened at the wrong time of year.
Turrón, rather like panettone, plum pudding, turkey and yule logs, is not conventionally eaten in September, but the amount consumed nationwide in the space of a day or two is normally enough to keep manufacturers' bills paid for the remaining 360-plus days.
That said, a lean Christmas, especially in times of financial crisis or, like in 2020, when nobody felt like or was able to celebrate properly, can be disastrous for an industry that has to then wait a whole calendar year to 'try again'.
For this reason, you can still find turrón in the supermarkets at any time of year, albeit occupying much-reduced shelf space, rather than taking over the entire store the way it does all through December.
After all, nobody would refuse to eat a chocolate egg just because 'it's not Easter yet'.
A brief back-story about turrón
Whilst popular all over the country and even imported by the tonne to the USA, turrón is more typically found on sale in the Comunidad Valenciana, the part which occupies about a third of the east coast stretch – it may not be de rigueur for the holidays in Madrid, Barcelona or Andalucía, for example, but it's almost impossible to escape for those living in the provinces of Alicante, Valencia and Castellón.
That's because it was traditionally made in the inland southern-Alicante province town of Jijona – largely, it still is, but has a much wider audience nowadays.
Given that its main ingredients are almond and honey – with a bit of whipped egg-white – it is thought to have originated during the Mediaeval era when Spain's predominant ethnic was Arab, as this community introduced both these plant-based goods into the country.
Two main types exist – turrón blando ('soft'), made with almonds ground to powder and which has a consistency rather like solidified peanut butter and is extremely filling, and turrón duro ('hard'), which is a rock-like white nougat with the almonds in it whole.
Other variations that pass for turrón are somewhat distanced from the original recipes, and even include chocolate, fondant-like confectionery, marzipan, or coconut ice – but near Christmas, almost anything that comes in the format of a large, thick bar is known as a turrón, since the name literally means 'slab' or 'slice' in food terms.
A slice of the action
Until this week, the world record for the longest-ever turrón was 55 metres (about 180'5”), but Alicante Gastronómica 2021 – this year's Alicante Culinary Fair – has extended it even further.
It's one of the most dynamic, as world records go – the longest on earth made in December 2012 by Basque celebrity chef Martín Berasategui was 45 metres, and the 40-metre record for the longest chocolate version was broken at New Year 2020 in Villanueva de la Serena (Badajoz province, Extremadura), with a 42-metre slab.
The latest street-length turrón blando was whipped up by master confectioner Roberto Picó 'Triana', behind the prolific turrón brand name Picó, using 270 kilos (595lb 4oz) of the mixture, and was made in tribute to the legendary turrón 'king', José Enrique Garrigós.
It is only a metre (3'3”) longer than the previous record-breaker, at 56 metres (about 183'8”) but is enough to replace the local industry's own entry in the Guinness Book of Records.
This was verified, officially, at the fair, meaning it should appear now in the 2022 edition.
The ceremonious turrón-slicing event, following the measuring and documenting, was a team effort involving various top chefs in the province – Susi Díaz from La Finca, in Elche, which has one Michelin star and two Repsol 'suns'; the Torres brothers, from the eponymous two-Michelin-starred Restaurante Hermanos Torres; and Óscar Velasco, who has a Michelin star of his own and whose career and training mostly took place at Restaurante Santceloni – and also 'farmfluencer' Miquel Montoro, who describes himself as an 'Agro-YouTuber'.
All members of the public present were given a free slice, and it is likely there is still enough left over for hundreds or even thousands of people and that many were able to take home some spares, given that a typical portion of between a finger and two or three centimetres (an inch) is normally more than sufficient to sate one's appetite until at least the next morning.
The man we need to thank for our nutty Noël sugar-rush
José Enrique Garrigós, in whose honour the record-breaking turrón was made, is commonly known as 'the sweetest man in the province of Alicante', and as well as being a key promoter of the annual Culinary Fair, and 'fond of great challenges', is 'a staunch defender of the Mediterranean diet' – which he is firmly convinced turrón should form an essential part of, according to fair director Carlos Bañó.
He used to be chairman of the brand regulatory council for turrón – a type of organism which all foods and drinks with an official certificate of origin, such as Greek yoghurt and feta cheese, are governed by to ensure the purity of the product and that it is made where it claims to be.
As an example, anything resembling turrón but not made in the Alicante-Jijona area, or made abroad, cannot officially be called as such, rather like how thick yoghurt not from Greece has to be labelled as 'Greek-style yoghurt'.
Additionally, José Enrique Garrigós was chairman of Alicante Chamber of Commerce from 2009 to 2016, meaning he has had his fingers in numerous top-level food pies in the area and is a culinary household name.
Alicante Gastronómica 2021 will also pay tribute tomorrow (Monday) to chefs Lucio Blázquez – 'Madrid-born but alicantino by adoption', according to the programme, and who runs the restaurant Casa Lucio – and José Manuel Varó, the first-ever culinary professional in the province to earn a Michelin star.
Related Topics
You may also be interested in ...
- Property for sale in Alicante / Alacant
- Property for rent in Alicante / Alacant
- Businesses & Services in Alicante / Alacant
- Property for sale in Jijona / Xixona
- Businesses & Services in Jijona / Xixona
- Property for sale in Elche / Elx
- Property for rent in Elche / Elx
- Businesses & Services in Elche / Elx
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