Turrón is a popular Spanish dessert made from honey, sugar and nuts. It was invented in Jijona by the Moors over 500 years ago. It is said to have been brought to Spain in the Middle Ages through colonization by the Moors. Manual de Mujeres (Women’s handbook), a 16th century handbook of recipes for cosmetics and food, contains the oldest living Spanish turrón recipe.
Today, the Convent of Hermanas Clarisas is known to be the producer of the best turrón in Spain. Twenty-two nuns work together scrupulously to make perfect batches of turrón. Another secret to the prominence of the convent’s turrón is the fact that the nuns have carefully chosen to use almonds from Castellón, a town in the south of Spain. They chose it among other almonds from other places because it is the most scrumptious. The nuns follow the traditional turrón recipe, but they also change things up a bit to achieve their desired texture or taste.
Vocabulary:
Jijona – is a town and municipality in the Valencian Community on the eastern coast of Spain
colonization – the action or process of sending people to live in and govern another country
handbook – a book that contains instructions or advice about how to do something or the most important and useful information about a subject
scrupulously – in a very careful and thorough way
prominence – the state of being important, famous, or noticeable
scrumptious – extremely appetizing or delicious
True or False:
- Turrón is made from water, sugar, and powdered milk.
- Turrón was brought to Spain by the Moors in a friendly gesture.
- Manual de Mujeres has the oldest living lipstick recipe.
- The nuns of the Convent of Hermanas Clarisas use ordinary almonds to make turrón.
- The nuns strictly follow the turrón recipe as indicated in Manual de Mujeres.
Express your opinion:
- It is important to know the history of food.
- Changing the recipe of a traditional food is a sign of cultural disrespect.
- Cooking is more of a skill than a talent.
- What do you think about Japanese fusion cuisine?
- Can you name a traditional Japanese dessert that’s slowly losing its appeal to the younger generation? Discuss.
Defend your argument:
- “None of us are as smart as all of us.”
- “A party without a cake is just a meeting.” -Julia Child
- “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.”
- “We are not a team because we work together. We are a team because we respect, trust, and care for each other.”
- “Dessert is the most important stage of the meal.” – William Powell