History
Xixona, in the hills of Alicante province, makes the two classic Spanish turrones: soft Jijona, ground almonds and honey, and hard Alicante, whole almonds in a brittle. A regulatory council guards their protected geographical indication. For centuries the town lived on ice cream in summer and turrón in winter, and its ice-cream makers travelled to sell; the family behind Helados Sirvent settled in Benidorm in 1954. The Museo del Turrón shows the process beside a working factory.
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Common allergens: Tree nuts, Egg
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 300g blanched Marcona almonds
- 150g honey
- 100g sugar
- 1 egg white
- Edible wafer paper
Method
- Toast the almonds in a 180C oven for 8 to 10 minutes until golden, then grind them to a smooth, oily paste.
- Warm the honey and sugar in a heavy pan, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches about 120C.
- Whisk the egg white to soft peaks and beat in the hot honey syrup in a thin stream.
- Fold in the almond paste and keep stirring over very low heat for 10 minutes until thick and even.
- Line a small loaf tin with wafer paper, press in the paste and cover with more wafer paper.
- Weigh it down and leave for 24 hours before slicing.
Tip from the editors. Grinding the almonds long enough to release their oil is what gives Jijona its soft, sliceable texture.
Where to eat turron de jijona
Turron de Jijona in Benidorm
Featured by TableJourney as a signature dish of Benidorm. See where to eat Turron de Jijona in Benidorm or the Benidorm signature dishes guide.
Turron de Jijona in Valencia
Mercado Central ★ 4.8
Mercado Central in Valencia is the 8,000 sqm modernist food market inaugurated in 1928, with 400-plus stalls of fish, produce, meat and one.
TipBest on Saturday mornings before 11:00. Central Bar by Ricard Camarena for bocadillo de calamares.
Mercado de Colon ★ 4.6
Mercado de Colon in Valencia's Eixample is the 1916 modernist food-hall market, now a gastronomic-and-leisure space with horchaterias, wine bars and casual.
TipHorchateria Daniel for horchata, Habitual for arroz, Ma Khin for pan-Asian. Open daily through the evening.
More places near Mercado Central and Mercado de Colon
Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.
- Tasca Angel Valencian Tapas, about 150 m away
- Cafe Madrid Cocktail bar, about 350 m away
- Agua de Valencia at Cafe Madrid Street food, about 350 m away
- El Encuentro Valencian Rice, about 400 m away
- La Riua Valencian Rice, about 450 m away
- Federal Cafe Valencia Brunch, about 450 m away
More cities are in research. Want turron de jijona covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.