If you remember our Calendar of Gastronomic Events, every January 12 is celebrated as World Marzipan Day. A sweet that, although typical of Christmas, finds its celebration a few days later. This appreciated sweet made from almond paste and sugar, is a Christmas icon, but if we go to Toledo, we can taste it throughout the year. Will you join us to celebrate its day?
Marzipan is a paste made from almonds, sugar and egg. The almonds, previously peeled, are crushed and mixed with sugar. In this way, a soft paste is created with a very smooth texture when the oil from the almonds binds with the sugar. This dough, once we let it rest, will be ready to bake, previously painting it with egg.
Celebrate World Marzipan Day
Many foods or recipes have their own day on the calendar. And most of these celebrations have their origin in the United States. Perhaps the Marzipan Day too, as it is a popular sweet that has captivated many people there. However, we have not been able to find the creator of the marzipan day; nor the reason for this date.
Even so, this is no reason not to celebrate Marzipan Day as it deserves. And the best way to do it is to prepare your own homemade marzipan. All we need are almonds, sugar and egg.
Try making your own marzipan and let your imagination run wild creating your favorite figures.
Ingredients of Marzipan
Another great way to celebrate marzipan day is to learn more about this sweet. Let’s start with its ingredients: almonds, sugar and egg. An authentic marzipan should not contain anything else.
In fact, Toledo marzipan, which has Protected Geographical Indication, has its composition established by regulation. And it goes like this:
At least 50% of its composition must be almonds.
It must include natural sugars, such as honey, beet sugar, cane sugar…
Surely you have heard, on more than one occasion, the potato as an ingredient in marzipan. However, this ingredient is only included to make the product cheaper. A real marzipan should not fatten its dough with potato.
Some History to celebrate Marzipan Day
Although, as with all popular recipes, there are many versions about the origin or creation of marzipan, everything seems to point to the fact that this sweet was created for the first time in the Convent of San Clemente, in Toledo, in the year 1212.
As the story goes, the nuns needed to prepare something to eat to help the Christians after the battle of Navas de Tolosa. All they had was marzipan and sugar, and so, by combining them, they came up with marzipan.
Although, according to this story, marzipan was invented in 1212, its first written reference appears in 1512, also in Toledo.
Did you know that…
Although we can find marzipan in many places in Europe, the most famous, worldwide, are those of Toledo and del Soto, in La Rioja, Spain; and those of Lübeck and Königsberg, in Germany.
And with this we finish celebrating Marzipan Day. Do you want to celebrate it? If you liked it, remember to leave us your comments, ideas, tips, opinions… We love to read you!
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