Christmas time in Spain is Turrón time. Turrón (Torró in Catalan) is a confection similar to nougat, typically made of honey, sugar and egg white, with toasted almonds, hazelnuts or other nuts, and usually shaped into either a rectangular tablet or a round cake. Due to the prevalence of tasty almonds on this island, this Spanish Christmas tradition has its rivalling equivalent in Mallorca, looking back on a fair trade spanning a few centuries by now.

You’ll find Turrones in every supermarket and in all shapes and variations but, the best ones are found in your local Pasteleria. There, Turróns are handmade in the artesan tradition, a little more expensive maybe, but much better by far. For the best of the best, try Pomar, in Campos del Port, or Cas Net, in Palma, where my photo was taken. Or try one of the nuns’ convents in Palma, such as the Monasterio de Santa María Magdalena, or the Monasterio de Santa Clara. You can buy biscuits and Turróns there, certainly between now and Reyes.

There are plenty of other dulces (sweets) around in Spain for Christmas, such as Polvorones or Mantecados, and lots more in Mallorca, such as Roscats d’Anís, Panellets, Coquitos, Mossegades or Pastissets, but that would have to be another blog entry, sometime later.

The photo was taken in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The date: December 17th, 2008. The time was 17:02:43.