Turrón or Torró in Catalan - Extremely tempting sweets from Catalonia and Spain

Among my friends, it is a known fact that I absolutely love sweets! At the same time, I am - for the sake of the environment – vegan, and it can often complicate things, as there are unreasonably many sweet things that you cannot eat. So of course I have some exceptions. For example, I eat mayonnaise, as it simply just raises taste of so much delicious food. I add grated parmesan on top of some of my dishes to spice them up a little bit, and then I eat all the cheese and sausage I can get near whenever I am in Catalonia. And then there's just one more Catalan dish where I don’t mind the little egg that is added, and that is when it comes to Turrón!!

Turrón is simply irresistible. I love texture in all kinds of food, sugar and honey is absolutely satisfying, and the crunchy nuts makes it just even better! In Catalonia, you usually use the original "Marcona variety" in Turrón. They are considered the best in the world, are succulent, crispy and incredibly tasty, which is the perfect combination when it comes to sweets!

 
Our "Estamenér" apartments & houses in the village of Perafita have a bakery on the ground floor where you can try the Turrón as well as a lot of other Catalan delicacies. The apartments are of high quality and also share a large pool and garden. Read more about them here.

Most of us are familiar with French nougat. Turrón is a Spanish nougat and in some cases it is very similar to French nougat. Turrón is also clearly shows that Spanish (and French) gastronomy has been inherited from the Arab cuisine.

Today, different variations of Turrón is made with a wide variety of nuts such as almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts and walnuts. It also incorporates other ingredients like glazed fruit, chocolate, caramelized Yema (egg yolks), marcipan, sesame and there is even a Gin & Tonic Turrón variation from the famous Catalan chef Ferran Adrià (El Bullí).

I particularly love the classic Alicante-style, which is the delicious, crunchy and sweet turrón, where the tasty almonds are preserved whole (mmmmmmm..) ! The Catalan version of this variety is the traditional and recognized Agramunt from the Province of Lleida. It is golden and crunchy and whereas all other Turrón is sold in rectangles, it is instead made in a disc form and comes in a hazelnut and an almond edition. Definitely worth getting a hold of! My husband Bertel is a "Chocoholic" so I get my Alicante version in peace and he enjoys the edition with the best chocolate and almond pieces. There is a variety of Turrón for everyone!!

Many would say that Christmas's soul and heart is found in the Spanish Turrón. But that's not entirely true. You can buy Turrón in supermarkets all year round, but we definitely recommend the small Turrón shops, many of which have been there for more than 100 years, and they are always well visited ... and so their Turrón tastes so much better (you can also buy small pieces so you can taste the many different kinds). Turrón is eaten all year in Spain and I fully definitely understand why. It tastes absolutely excellent and when you are on holiday in Catalonia, it's just one of the things that must be brough home with you in the suitcase. Buy enough so that you can bring back a lovely souvenir for your neighbor and of course a package or two for yourself, that you can enjoy when you are back home again and can reminisce on some of the sweetest and best holiday memories in Catalonia.

Famous Turrón shops in Barcelona:

Planelles Donat

Probably the most famous Barcelona Turrón store. The family-owned store opened back in 1850. The quality of the raw materials in Planelles Donate is simply amazing, which is also the reason why you pay a lot more than in other Turrón shops. I recommend that you taste their delicious Xixona (soft almonds), Alacant (Cream Catalana) and Nata Nous (Walnut and Cream), my husband cannot leave the shop without best chocolate Turrón (they come in many variations). In the summer they also sell wonderful ice cream.

Address: Avinguda del Portal de l'Àngel, 27, 08002 Barcelona, Spanien
Website: http://en.planellesdonat.com

 
Casa Colomina

There are two top Turrón shops in Barcelona. Casa Colomina and Planelles Donat. It is said that half of Barcelona buys in Planelles Donat, and the other half in Colomines. I find no reason to say which one is best. They are both excellent! In 1908, the family originally came to Barcelona as emigrants from the Valencia region and for the first many years they had a simple Christmas shop in town. Due to the high quality, they quickly became known in Barcelona. At Christmas the queue in front of Colomina can be extremely long. They make a wonderful Christmas edition with marcipan and cinnamon, which I can also highly recommend!

Address: Carrer de la Cucurulla, 2, 08002 Barcelona
Website: http://casacolomina.es/

 
Torrons Vicens

The famous Catalan Turrón Agramunt (from the Lllida Province) has been making Turrón since 1775. My favorite is "Turrón Duro" (golden and crispy)  which is also the family's most famous turron. It follows the exact same recipe that was used more than 200 years ago. The only raw materials are: Sugar, honey, almonds or hazelnuts covered in sweet "round paper". They have a lot of shops in Barcelona and you can always taste the items before purchasing it. Dive into their delights and try some of their other excellent versions. If you are a real nerd like me, you can also visit Vicens little Turrón museum in the Lleida region of Catalonia.

Turrons Vicens has a stack of shops in Barcelona. The following address is located on the Rambla:

Address: Les Rambles, Quiosco 43, Barcelona
Website: http://www.vicens.com/en/

- And remember to bring a big sized suitcase, so there's enough room to bring back some of these wonderful Catalan delights