Turrón, a sweet Christmas (and all year round) treat!

Turrón is a type of nougat made with almonds which is eaten mainly at Christmas time in Spain.  It is eaten all over the country but is a traditional recipe from the Alicante province.  There are two main types - Turrón de Jijona (Turrón from Jijona) which is a soft type formed in rectangular blocks and packaged and Turrón de Alicante (turrón from Alicante) which is crunchy and brittle and is sold in a round shape the size of a plate.

I personally prefer the Jijona type which looks like this:

Turrón de Jijona

A friend of mine's parents run a factory making it in an artesanal way and ice cream as well, so it's called a torronería y heladería (turrón and ice cream sellers).  The main ingredients are toasted almonds, honey, sugar and egg.  A block of 300g (above) of this costs around 7€.

There is also slightly less soft version of this made with chocolate which includes cacao, milk and butter.

Turrón de Jijona de chocolate

They also make some rather nice Almendras Garrapiñadas, which are almonds roasted and tossed with sugar giving them a crunchy, sweet coat.

Almendras garrapiñadas

We also bought some Almendras Rellenas (filled almonds) which is an almond shape made from sugar paper and filled with soft turrón.

Almendras rellenas

If you want to try turrón and are not here at Christmas time there are some shops in Alicante city that sell it all year round.  You could try turrón ice cream that's great all year round, and also there is a bar called in the old town in Alicante city that serves a montadito (small filled roll) called Iván which has steak, rocket, parmesan, foie and turrón, and it's really delicious!

Enjoy!

The Kings are coming!!!

As mentioned in my previous posts, the Christmas festive period goes on for a little longer in Spain than in the UK.  The Twelfth Night (or Day), or the Epiphany (6th January), is usually a family celebration here.

Actually the eve of the Epiphany is when most of the action happens.  There is a procession early evening through the streets of towns and cities with the Three Kings arriving in many different ways to greet the children and hand out sweets or gifts.  Some come on horseback, on foot, on camels or, as I write from the village in Granada where I am right now, on a tractor!  This is called the Cabalgata de los Reyes.  It's a magical event for children and they write letters to the Kings with a list of gifts they would like to receive, just like the letters to Father Christmas.

Usually a family dinner is enjoyed this evening and then when the children go to bed they leave shoes at the foot of the bed, or a stocking hanging from the chimney if they have one...  so that the Kings can fill them with presents when they visit each house.

Roscón de Reyes

The traditional roscón de Reyes is enjoyed together with the family of the 5th or 6th of January.  This 'Kings cake' is a brioche-like sweet dough made into a large ring shape with candied fruit on the top.  It is baked traditionally with a small porcelain figure somewhere inside and a dried bean.  When cut, whoever finds the figure in their piece is crowned king with the paper crown that is usually included with the roscón.  The person who finds the bean has to pay for the cake!

Roscón de Reyes, image courtesy of springhotelsmagazine.com

Quite often nowadays,  the cake is baked and then cut in half horizontally and then the 'prizes' are put inside, and filled with squirty cream.

Roscón de Reyes, image courtesy of  rgarciaandsons.com

This year I wasn't crowned king for the evening, nor did I have to pay for the cake, but I did get to enjoy my piece of cake!

In between New Year and the Epiphany

I know that some of you in the UK have already taken down your Christmas decorations at home and are probably in 'January Sales' mode but here in Spain the Christmas period continues until the 6th of January.  This is the date of the Epiphany, or the twelfth day after Christmas day.  This Christian feast day celebrates God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ and The Three Wise Men, or the Three Kings (whichever you prefer), visit him.

This is all a part of the Christian festivities, but in the UK it seems that everything Christmassy has to be taken down and forgotten until next year.  In my opinion, it's a real shame how Christmas in the UK is now a one day huge commercial event and the Christmas traditions are almost totally lost.  I was quite angry the other day when I was watching a popular chat show on BBC 1 and no one knew what Boxing Day traditionally was.

It's quite embarrassing for me when I see Spanish people asking British people about what certain festivities are for and they don't know - myself included in some things.  It's unfortunate that our culture is to just take advantage of the day off work for various festivities and not think about what it's really for.  And I'm sure there's lots of people out there who don't even know what the word 'holiday' means and where it comes from!

The educated Spanish still have some kind of religious education at school and at home, and uphold traditions practised by the older generations, but I do see an influence of the 'commercial Christmas' creeping in.  

I was watching A Great British Christmas with Sarah Beeny on 4oD the other evening and it was interesting to see how some of our traditions came about and have evolved over time.  Some things have been around from pagan traditions, like hanging mistletoe - which is not allowed in Christian churches unless it is blessed apparently.

That's one of the reasons why I like the culture here, because it's still traditional and natural.  Spain, especially the many villages, in some ways is about 15 years behind the UK.  But I like it like that.

I took down my Christmas tree last night because I am spending Reyes (they simply refer the celebration of the visit of the Three Kings as 'Kings') in a village in Granada and when I return I don't really want to see all my decorations still up... The Christmas period can go on for longer than desired at times!

Seeing in the New Year in Alicante

This will be just a short post to wish you all a happy and healthy new year 2014 and to let you know how it is celebrated here.

New Year's Eve - Noche Vieja

The 31st of December is a normal working day here until about 6pm when shops start to close early to prepare for the family dinner (cena).  The day is quite busy with people going to the local market and supermarkets for last-minute provisions and preparations.

The evening meal is generally a family affair and could start at around 9pm or 10pm.  For this special occasion, seafood like prawns or lobster is usually on the menu and there are various courses hot and cold.

At midnight, people turn on their televisions to see the clock at the central Madrid square called la Puerta del Sol start chiming, first the four quarterly chimes and then the twelve individual bongs marking the hour.  On each of the twelve chimes, a grape is eaten (and has to be done rather quickly!) as a tradition.  Then there are certain other superstitions or actions that some do like:

-wear something red when the clock strikes

-put suitcases by the front door (if you would like to travel during the coming year)

-eat the grapes while standing on one leg only then hop onto the other leg when you have finished (to start off the new year on a good foot)

-write wishes and desires (deseos) on a piece of paper and burn it

-put something gold in your celebration glass, etc.

One year we went to the town hall square in Alicante expecting to hear the chimes and maybe see something special happen, but there wasn't even an hourly bell so we didn't really know when 12 o'clock was!  Won't be doing that again!

The Spanish (sort of) equivalent of Champagne is called cava and is popped open and drank to celebrate or a bubbly cider is used if preferred.

Once all of the well-wishing is over, the party continues or the younger people go out to a bar or nightclub to get together with friends.

Example of a Cotillón pack.  Courtesy of diy.ahorro.net

It is quite common here to go to organised dinner celebrations where you pay a one-off price which covers all of the food, alcohol and some paper party decorations (cotillón) like a garland, a hat, streamers and a hooter.  Lots of nightclubs also charge a fixed price for entry and a quantity of drinks (consumición) and maybe a cotillón too.  Nightclubs are usually open until 6am or 7am.

New Year's Day - dia del Nuevo Año

As with most people around the world, today is spent recovering from the night before, relaxing or visiting family.  The shops are not open here and there are usually no activities organised.  People go back to work on the 2nd of January if it is a weekday and start to get ready for the next fiesta on the 5th & 6th of January when the Reyes Magos (the Three Kings) come and visit...

Bethlehem and Nativity Scene

Being less focused on the commercial side of Christmas and more on the religious festival that it is, in Spain they 'decorate' in a slightly different way.  In the large towns and cities you see the German tradition of decorated Christmas trees more and more now, in homes and in public spaces.  You don't find them, or very few of them if any, in the villages in rural Spain.

Belén

What they do put up all over Spain in public spaces, churches and in some homes is a Belén, which is a scene of Bethlehem.

Bethlehem scene in the church of Cúllar, Granada

The Bethlehem scene consists of small figures and models of what Bethlehem may have looked like at the time of the birth of Jesus.  You will find Jesus (Jesús), Mary (María), Joseph (José), the Three Kings (los Reyes Magos), shepherds (pastores), sheep (ovejas), mules (mulas), oxen (bueyes), the stable (el establo),  some houses and shops like a bakery (panadería), or a butcher’s (carnicería), hills and maybe even a river.  

Here are some photos of a Bethlehem scene put together in the church of the village in Granada where I spent Christmas this year.  I think it’s really cute and they have gone into a lot of detail.

This is the Holy family which is why they have golden halos over their heads... Jesus is a few years old here.

Children usually get involved in the decorating of their Belén or Nacimiento in the preparations of Christmas time.  The models can be bought ready made and painted or plaster of Paris moulds of the figures can be painted at home.  You can find most elements in craft shops, and then you just get creative.

Nacimiento

The part of the Belén consisting of the stable with the baby Jesús, Mary and Joseph is called the Nacimiento (birth) or the Milagro (miracle).  If at home they don't put an elaborate Belén, they at least construct a Nativity scene to respect the festivity.

Here is the Nativity scene in the same Belén as in the photos above.  You will note that the baby Jesus is not in the crib - this is because I took these photos before Christmas Day, i.e. before Jesus had been born.

Belén in Alicante

In the Plaza de la Montañeta in Alicante, they make a hut with a Belén inside divided into 4 specific scenes - like the Birth of Jesus and Three Wise Men following the star.  (As the hut is outside and the models are in a glass case there is a lot of reflection in the photos.  Sorry.  I hope you can still see the models.) 

How do you decorate your home or town at Christmas?

A Spanish Christmas

Christmas time is slightly different in Spain than in the UK.

Noche Buena

The most important night for the family celebrations here is on the 24^th of December, which is called Noche Buena.  As you know we call it Christmas Eve in English but it is not the direct translation.

The family dinner is usually at 9pm and includes seafood or shellfish.  They don’t traditionally eat stuffed turkey with veg like we do on Christmas day or anything like that.  There will be cava or cider or something to clink glasses with and wish each and everyone best wishes for Christmas.

Polvorones and other sweets are eaten like we eat our boxes of Quality Street and Roses, although I see them frequently on a decorative tray I don’t see many people eating them!  They are sweet, crumbly shortbreads made of almonds with icing sugar on the top which give them their name because polvo means dust.

Image courtesy of http://www.vinogastro.com/Turron.html

There is a church service late at night, like our Midnight Mass, that is called the Misa del gallo because it goes on until quite late (or early).  The service in the village here included a Christmas story acted out by local children.

El dia de la Navidad

Christmas day is usually spent visiting the rest of the family like aunties, uncles and cousins.  There is no traditional dish that is eaten on this day that I know of.  Shops and businesses are not open on Christmas Day.  In the UK we have the holiday of Boxing Day, although nowadays lots of shops open and start their sales.  In Spain, the 26^th of December is a normal day and lots of people return to work.

In the Catholic faith, presents are given at Reyes at the beginning of January (I will post about this), not on Christmas Day, and Santa Claus is not a part of the festivities.  However, I know many families who now not only give gifts at Reyes, but they also give something on Christmas Day.  This is especially typical for children because if they wait until the 6th of January to receive their presents they don't get much time to enjoy them as the kids go back to school the next day on the 7th of January.

The weather at Christmas

Where I am today in the province of Granada it's raining and quite cold so probably not much different to many places in the UK.  In the mountains around here, especially in the Sierra Nevada where there is a ski resort, the mountains are snowy.  During the day when the sun is out it gets quite warm but quickly goes cold when the sun goes down. 

How do you celebrate Christmas with your family or loved-ones?

Christmas Nazareth-style market in Alicante

One of the various markets that are installed in Alicante city for the holidays this year is the mercado Nazareno in the Plaza Gabriel Miro.

There are stalls with home-made goods and crafts...

Artisans...

Musicians and dancers...

Freshly baked bread and cakes from a log-fired oven...

And a live animal or two...

There is also a real Bethlehem scene, where you can visit the Virgin Mary in the stable where Jesus is born. 

Its on for a few days only and totally free to wander around and enjoy the atmosphere.

What kind of markets do the put up for the Christmas period where you live?

Ice skating rink in Alicante

The council here in Alicante do make an effort to create activities for us to enjoy during Christmas time, as well as other special times of the year here.

Christmas here is not like in the UK or the states.  The streets and shops are not decorated with lights galore, music, carol singers, mince-pie evenings, late night shopping nights, etc.  And they have only started doing Santa's grottos.  Santa Claus or Father Christmas is only recently a part of the Christmas celebrations in Spain because they celebrate and give presents on different dates to us.

So one of the things that the council has organised for the festive period is an ice-skating rink in front of the town hall... with the all important Christmas tree in the middle.

If you are looking at the Ayuntamiento (town hall) you can also see the Castillo de Santa Bárbara (Santa Barbara castle) in the background.

When I took this photo it was just closing for lunch.  But during the evening and after work it can reach its maximum of 115 people per session.

The price is 5 Euros for 45 minutes and it's open every day (consult opening hours) from 12th December until 6th January.

I will post later about how Christmas is celebrated here in Alicante.

How is Christmas celebrated where you live?