When I do eat it, I eat the best. In Spain, that means a trip to Toledo, the birthplace (according to Spaniards, anyway), of marzipan. This delicacy has been made in Toledo since around since 850, so who knows, it might be true. Thanks to the Marzipan Regulatory Council of Toledo - not kidding - almonds must make up at least 50% of the total weight, and almond oil, 14%. Yummy! It's not as sweet as American-made marzipan, which is fine with me - I like the almonds to dominate. If you don't like marzipan, it's because you haven't tried the Spanish kind yet!
Spanish, mazapan: Nuns in Toledo, so the
Once you taste some marzipan, you'll see why dozens of countries lay claim to the invention - it's that good. Go into a marzipan shop - I prefer Santo Tome - and just breath it in. It's been around since 1856, and uses a mix of almonds, pine nuts and thousand-flower honey to get that exquisite marzipan flavour.
the cellophane packages hold a marzipan fish (yeah, I've eaten a whole one) |
You can buy marzipan by weight. Do you want just one to try? They'll wrap it up in a tiny and beautiful paper bag. A kilo or two? They'll be carefully boxed and wrapped in gold and purple paper. Now that's a gift I love to receive, and also one I give a lot. It's a great "typical Spanish" thing to give, and if the receiver decides to open it up and share while I'm there... mmmm - let's put the coffee on.
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