Turron de Jijona

Jijona, Xixona in Valencian, has made turron since at least the sixteenth century, using Marcona almonds and local rosemary honey, and two protected types come from the area: turron de Jijona, the soft kind, in which the toasted almonds and honey are ground repeatedly in stone mills, boiled in a boixet and worked until the mixture emulsifies into a smooth paste that releases its own oil, and turron de Alicante, the hard kind, in which whole toasted almonds are set in a brittle honey and egg-white nougat. Both hold protected designation status. The industry is seasonal, concentrated on Christmas, and the town's factories run at capacity in autumn. A turron museum in Jijona explains the process with old machinery.

What you actually see

• The stone mills - almonds and honey ground repeatedly into a paste.
• The two protected types - soft Jijona and hard Alicante turron.
• The autumn production - factories running at capacity before Christmas.
• The turron museum - old equipment and the process explained.

When to go

October to December, when production is at its height and the fresh product reaches the shops; turron is sold year-round but is a Christmas item. Factory visits and the museum run on set schedules.

Honest expectations

It is extremely sweet and rich, and a small piece is enough. Mass-market versions use fewer almonds and more sugar than the protected ones, so the designation label matters. Jijona itself is a small industrial town.

Nearby

Alicante and its castle lie south; the Sierra de Aitana rises inland.