Hedonic Tasting of Jijona Nougat
“In the blink of an eye, we find ourselves already in the octave of All Saints’ Day. Its curious and varied carousel of panellets, chrysanthemums,
The mayor highlighted the heart shape of the almond, which, in turn, is the heart of the nougat.
She explained that Xixona is an industrial powerhouse that uses large quantities of almonds to make the best nougat in the world, so much so that the Xixona Town Council has registered the brand “Jijona, the sweetest place in the world” and that no city in the world has opposed it, probably because it is true. The image that Turisme de Xixona has chosen to accompany this registered trademark is the pink almond blossom, the flower of the Marcona. And they have gone further, wanting to recover the almond landscape in the town, planting a large number of almond trees, for example, at the Pont d’Alcoi.
The president of Xics highlighted that one of the objectives of the Association is to protect the profession of nougat maker and all the trades that supply it, therefore, to organise the I Marcona Almond Conference where they want to treat this “golden nugget”, essential for the nougat made by the members of XICS, from all the trades that treat it and, moreover, in Xixona, the cradle of all the members of XICS, it makes perfect sense.
SARA PÉREZ OVEJERO
The winegrower and oenologist began her presentation by explaining that in every talk she gives, she says “I come from the South”. In this case, Xixona is even further south than Priorat, but, on reflection, her south, that of Priorat, is very similar to Xixona, harsh environments, where the stony ground and lack of water condition its people and make them very special.
She delved into her own biography, explaining that as a child she lived in Barcelona and that when she was nine years old, her parents, originally from Quatretondeta, decided to undertake a project with other winegrowers in Priorat. She spent many years angry without understanding what had prompted them to make such a drastic change in their lives. She would never have imagined that she would end up becoming a farmer herself and that she would learn something for life: adversity. First came economic adversity, as the family had to invest all their savings to start the project of recovering the vineyards in Priorat. They knew that from the two traditional varieties of the region, they could make great wines from one: the carinyena (years later the other variety, the garnatxa, gave them a great and pleasant surprise). They had the experience of France and knew that with improved varieties such as syrah a new path was opening up on the horizon. But the road was full of stones. It was necessary to choose only the optimal grapes and reject what was not, taking advantage of everything was not a way.
Effort, perseverance and passion bore fruit after a few years, achieving great wines. But adversity did not end there, it was just beginning social adversity. The profession of the farmer had to be dignified, without this figure it made no sense or future to make a great wine. They started paying better for the Kg of grapes and so on year after year. With many difficulties (in her own words, “when you fight against adversity there is no market, the only reference is the holy host you take”), the so-called “5 magnificent of Priorat” were able to carry out an authentic revolution that drove and stretched the entire region.
One morning, the oenologist’s father spoke at the village bar with one of the oldest farmers in the area. “Now everything is going well, you must be satisfied”. The farmer shook his head. “And that?”, continued the winegrower. “When we get all these young people who have coffee in this bar at seven in the morning to not go to Reus to work because they have work here, I will be happy”.
Sara Pérez reflected on the role of the farmer, guardians of the forest and fire, on the need to think about the next generations so that all this effort, all this adversity is worth it. “We guard the land”, she stated emphatically.
In 2011 a new adversity appeared, that of climate change. Drier and hotter summers, risk of fires (the one in 2015 was an example). We must think of the land from the bioeconomy. There is no turning back: “what 30 years ago seemed impossible, today is a reality”. Since 2011 research is key to move forward and from the things that do not work it is an obligation to learn.
FERRAN MESTRES VIZCAÍNO
Ferran Mestres’ presentation revolved around the process of reflection that is currently being carried out in Priorat. He explained that although an authentic revolution was experienced in the region in previous decades, the reality is that population continues to be lost and that, although it is well paid, young people continue to leave.
He explained that the landscape of Priorat, like all that of the Mediterranean basin, is a constructed landscape, not natural. The region does not have a very old history as it dates from the 12th century, but it is enough time for agriculture to change the landscape of the Mediterranean coastal mountain forests. This agricultural landscape is a mosaic of different types of crops where the predominant one is the vineyard, in second place the olive grove and in last place the almond tree. History has conditioned the natural life of the region since in the 19th century, where the most extensive crop was the vineyard, it suffered the plague of phylloxera and the entire economy succumbed in a strong depression. There were no crops that acted as a border and the plague devastated all the fields. “Phylloxera is a lesson that we have to extract at an ecological and economic level, monoculture is dangerous”. But contrary to what not so distant history has taught us, the Mediterranean mosaic is being lost to give way to monoculture again.
Fires and floods are a challenge for agriculture in the region. Climate change is already very evident in the day-to-day life of the region. “In four months we have had 2 downpours when the normal thing is every 4 years”, the dynamizer sentenced. If we add to this fact the disappearance of the peasantry, vigilant of the field, the first border to stop these calamities, the panorama is not very hopeful. The Priorat-Montsant-Siurana candidacy for UNESCO World Heritage is a good excuse to rethink. Work teams have been formed, which communicate towns with difficult access that have often lived with their backs to each other, communication has been established in a network in order to find what makes them unique: “own values cannot be exported”, “development has to be based on own values”. Some of these own values of Priorat are:
-The small scale, the human scale
-Adaptation to the environment
-The company as an agricultural exploitation
Regarding the cultivation of the almond, the speaker explained that there is a general discouragement in the nut. The almond has experienced a radical decline and is maintained for self-consumption, “it is known that it is going to be lost”. The production of marcona almond is 30% of the total of all the varieties that are also traditionally cultivated. About 300Kg/hectare are cultivated, between about 100,000 to 150,000Kg in the entire region. With this amount of Kg, they do not value entering the global market, since it does not defend its values or differential features either.
To conclude, Ferran Mestres valued the cultivation of the almond tree as a landscape and ecological value, complementary to the wine and tourism sector.
ANTONIO ROMERO PASTOR
Antonio Romero introduced himself as a geographer and as a great enthusiast of the landscape, even today, where the landscape is experiencing difficult times.
He presented us with a historical perspective of it, explaining that its invention was in the hands of Humboldt in the 19th century, traveller, landscaper and father of modern geography.
Landscaping arrived in Spain at the hands of Giner de los Ríos in 1886. This intellectual from the Institución Libre de Enseñanza wrote an article called “Paisaje” in the magazine “La Ilustración Artística” in its nº220 and on page 103, where the landscape of the Sierra del Guadarrama was explained. This article lays the foundations of what we understand today as landscape:
-Ethical dimension
-Cultural dimension
-Dimension in values
The landscape, in addition, has a double dimension
1.- Explanatory dimension: provides knowledge of geography. Synthesis of the names of the environment (rivers, mountains, etc.).
2.- Cultural dimension: explains the people who live in a certain environment.
The agrarian landscape, specifically, is an extraordinary synthesis of the culture of the land, it is a constructed landscape.
The professor continued describing the Alicante mountain and its close relationship with the almond tree, where it was made from time immemorial “of necessity virtue”, since “we are water indigents”. In this space there was –nor is there– neither water nor soil, it is a hostile environment to make a productive space, but despite everything, it has been so, thanks to the Mediterranean value of “the job well done”, a popular phrase that subtly dignifies the work of the farmer, who has had to raise dry stone margins to form small terraces of almond trees, where, for example today, makes it very difficult to access the machinery that would facilitate agricultural tasks.
The ethical dimension of the landscape is very important: “there is an ethics in the landscape”, “ethics in the landscape because it dignifies the work of the farmer”. Professor Romero went further and stressed that “in the landscape there is an ethics and an aesthetics” and placed great emphasis on the fact that the landscape must be a territorial resource.
In the European Landscape Convention (Florence 20.X.2000), which came into force in 2008, much emphasis is placed on issues of tourism and landscape. This document highlights the cultural, ecological, environmental and social role of the landscape. This is how the landscape is defined according to the Florence Convention:
That is, the landscape constitutes a favourable resource for economic development. “Patrimonializar es legar a las siguientes generaciones”, concluded Professor Romero.
ANA ZARAGOZA MARTÍ
Dr. Ana Zaragoza began her presentation by explaining that when we talk about a nut that is favourable to cardiovascular health, we automatically think of walnuts and, quickly, we connect with the “California Walnuts” logo. She explained that from this state of the USA they have done a very good job of disseminating and promoting their products. That said, she went on to explain the topic that concerned us at the Conference: the marcona almond.
The almond is key in the Mediterranean diet, one of the healthiest diets in the world. This nut is nutritionally a treasure, since, among other functions, it protects our cardiovascular health and diabetes:
Dr. Zaragoza delved further into the Mediterranean diet reaching the following conclusions:
That is, the Mediterranean diet is a social resource, where cultural transmission is very important.
She also spoke about the gastronomy and restaurants in the area of the province of Alicante. Often the preparation of menus is based on what is supposedly pleasing to everyone. For example, the most offered desserts are brownie and tiramisu that have little to do with the Mediterranean diet and local culture. Perhaps you should ask the tourist what they want to consume or offer them dishes that they will surely not taste anywhere else, that will be unique. The answer may surprise us and that person may be happy and explain it when they return to their usual place of residence. She cited panfígol as a very healthy dessert and explained that Xixona nougat is a fairly healthy dessert. “We have a very rich gastronomy that promotes local agriculture”, she sentenced.
He also explained that our gastronomy is linked to the seasons of the year and their fruits.
He concluded that “the Marcona almond is a nutritionally very interesting food and that we should consume foods from our community.”
ÁNGEL CARBONELL BARRACHINA
The expert Àngel Carbonell began his presentation with a little game. He asked the attendees in the first row to say an attribute of the Marcona almond. The answers were varied, such as “round” or “tasty.” With such attributes, he reflected that it would be difficult to sell it or differentiate it from other varieties. Why, then, is the Marcona almond different from the others? “As scientists, we do not assume any idea, we verify it,” he stated.
Afterwards, he continued with a new experiment in line with scientific thinking. He passed around three samples of ground almond in order to discover which one was Marcona. Many of the attendees in the room did not guess correctly.
He continued with his reflection on whether the Marcona almond is really superior to the rest and asked if we have asked the consumer what they want: “we must be very objective if we want to get the most out of it”. He also made an invitation to work well done and showed total disagreement with the drum roasting system for almonds, which he described as “very prehistoric,” since “all the aroma develops in the roasting: you have to take great care of the roasting.” He spoke about one of the jobs that is being developed from the UMH and it is the formation of tasting panels, which is essential to be a good professional in the gastronomy sector.
He explained his origin from Xixona, specifically from Montnegre de Dalt, and recalled how valued the dry land orchard was and asked “why is there nothing that differentiates dry land products?”. At this point, he developed one of his jobs at the UMH, the Hydrosustainable project, known by the abbreviation HIDROSOS. It is based on controlled deficit irrigation, in order to generate stress to the plant and provoke the defense reaction of the plant. Its fruits go through the tasting panel, that is, through a sensory control in order to verify its organoleptic properties. The other great leg of the project is the farmer, since if he cannot get an adequate return, he will not bet on this type of agriculture, therefore, “you have to pay the farmer better”, since “the consumer is willing to pay more”, he concluded.
He offered himself to any initiative that could arise from the conference, since the University generates a lot of knowledge that rarely reaches the general society. Scientific articles often stay among scientists, he stated.
AGUSTÍ ROMERO
The scientist Agustí Romero explained that not all the news is bad for the Marcona almond, since since 2014 IRTA has been investigating for UNIÓ NUTS a Marcona that is self-compatible and late-flowering. This project should begin to give its results soon since the limit of 2022 has been set for its completion.
That said, he went on to explain the characteristics of the Marcona almond:
-Shape: it is the one with the most rounded shape (the elongated shape is inherited, the rounded one is not, that is why it is so special),
-Volume: it is the thickest in its overall relationship,
-Weight: it loses a lot of weight, especially in the peeling, although in comparison with the other varieties of almonds it would be in intermediate values,
-Color: it is one of the whitest,
-Mechanical resistance: it has an intermediate mechanical resistance (resistance to blows inside the different machines such as the peeler),
-Composition: it is balanced in terms of fat (24%) and protein (25%). The percentage of fat may vary but it is in any case optimal for the industry. The non pareil variety from California has a lot of protein but little fat, which lowers its degree of flavor,
-Flavor: it stands out in the flavor scale, according to the study that was done for Crisolar,
-Crunchiness: it is the crunchiest of all the varieties,
-Industrial adaptability: it is relatively poor in sugars, a remarkable fact for the industry,
-Consumer: it has a high acceptability by the consumer, higher than in the other varieties, for Xixona nougat and for chocolates, according to the study carried out by this researcher et alt. in 2002.
Finally, he finished with the following considerations:
-Insubstitutable form
-Excellent sensorially
-Very balanced chemical composition
-Very well adapted to the industry
M. CARMEN GARRIGÓS SELVA
Professor Garrigós began by explaining that her experience with her research team encompasses many fields within chemistry and that they work at a European level: from food packaging to chemical analyzes for fraud detection.
Spain is already the 2nd largest almond producing country in the world, although this is not reflected in the variety that concerns us: “the Marcona almond is the one that is planted the least today despite being the best”. According to the researcher, it is a superior variety to the rest because:
The research group led by her works on the European BARBARA automotive project, where from 3D printers and taking advantage of the by-products of lemon, broccoli and almond shell, parts are made for cars such as handles or dashboards, which have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Biopolymers are used and the almond shell also provides a natural wood look to the pieces. These car parts are currently in the validation phase by FIAT.
This project applies the so-called circular economy, since it opens the way to a new source of income for the farmer, making it possible to take advantage of the by-product of the almond and, at the same time, generate a new industry for its use.
The researcher insisted a lot that we must think about the farmer so that he does not abandon his profession: the initiatives that are thought of must have a repercussion on his economy, he must not be the most punished in the value chain.
The protection of the environment is also key and they apply it to their way of working using sustainable techniques and components.
Finally, she concluded that the Marcona also differs in relation to the other varieties in its by-product, clearly with superior qualities than the rest.
The representative of the commercial team of this company from Xixona, defined the task of the company as follows: “We are dedicated to making the almond pretty”.
She explained that this process is expensive, since a lot of machinery is needed to carry it out and that the resulting by-product is high. Hence the great price difference between what is paid to the farmer and the sale of the almond to third parties.
Challenges in the purchase of Marcona:
– Setback in the cultivation of almond trees in favor of other varieties: the Marcona has been relegated to the background.
–Shortage of Marcona after the harvest: there is a greater harvest of common almonds, therefore, it has priority at the breaker. At the same time, the nougat industry demands Marcona at this time, which cannot be served because it is primarily working with the common almond. If the market tends to rise, the farmer does not sell the Marcona in the hope of more profits and this fact produces a shortage of it. On the other hand, if the price of the common almond is high, the farmer does not bother to separate the Marcona from the common almond.
– Appearance of new varieties with similar features to the Marcona: in the speaker’s own words, “there have been attempts to replace the Marcona with other varieties with similar sizes, shapes and characteristics, but the client has not accepted it”.
–American Marcona: Marcona is also made in the USA but it does not have the organoleptic properties of the ones here and, for the moment, it is not yet an option for the industrialist.
-Harvests of Marcona dedicated entirely to export: there is a growing demand for Marcona as a snack that is exported to the USA, Europe and Japan. These harvests are no longer sold on the domestic market, which aggravates the shortage for the buyer here.
– 2016 crisis: as a result of the large price increase experienced by this variety, many industrialists opted for other varieties and have not returned to consuming Marcona, this fact has led to the Marcona being appreciated by the farmer as less attractive. Therefore, Laura Sirvent reflected “there should be a prudent price differential between Marcona and other varieties”.
The representative of Sirvent Almendras finished her presentation with the following reflections:
Future of the Marcona:
-Promotion of cultivation,
-Demarcate the Marcona with an affordable price difference,
-Promotion of the Marcona inside and outside our borders as it is for its unique and special quality. Its landscape and cultural value should be highlighted, as it is a variety from here.
Ferran Huguet first explained what UNIÓ is: “Unió was founded in 1942 in Reus. We are an entity that works to improve the living conditions of farmers and promote the sustainability of the agricultural sector. Unió is a second-degree cooperative (a cooperative of cooperatives) that today brings together 186 cooperatives from all over the Mediterranean Arc: Catalonia, Aragon, the Balearic Islands, Castilla la Mancha, Murcia and the Valencian Country.” He continued saying that within UNIÓ there are 3 large areas: olive oil, wine and nuts, with olive oil being the most important of these.
Regarding UNIÓ’s commitment to the Marcona almond, he stated that it is total, since there is a research agreement with IRTA for its improvement.
The situation of the Marcona almond in the UNIÓ cooperatives is 4,300 tons per year on an area of 49.00 hectares. The yield per hectare is 87Kg in grain and 150Kg in shell. Most of the crops are rainfed.
A major problem that the farmer faces is the premature fall of the fruit. Problems in drying can affect the quality of the almond. Post-harvest treatments are essential.
In favor of the Marcona, he cited arguments such as that it is a variety with international prestige for its great quality and that it is native to here.
Regarding the IRTA-UNIÓ research program, he cited the following objectives:
-Maintain fruit characteristics:
-Identical physical-chemical characteristics
-Identical organoleptic characteristics
-Promote fruit cultivation
More than 50% of tons in grain are already exported, mostly to the USA and Japan, where they are usually consumed as a snack. They are very demanding markets that demand constant quality, which entails a very strict working system.
UNIÓ is launching a project to incorporate new farmers in the cultivation of the Marcona almond.
He finished the conference explaining that UNIÓ is a leader in the use of the by-products generated by the Marcona almond: “We promote the circular economy. We work to minimize waste in our fruit processing and transformation processes, seeking new applications for those by-products that traditionally had no value. Thus, hand in hand with our R&D&I department, we have discovered industrial applications for the almond shell and functional ingredients derived from the skins of nuts or carob beans.”
Professor Salvat began his presentation by saying “Tourism invades everything” and then cited the text of the anthropologist and cultural critic Néstor García Canclini“Cultural tourism: paranoiacs vs. utilitarians”:
-Paranoid vision: tourism culminates the processes of massification and trivialization of heritage and culture.
-Utilitarian vision: tourism is a mechanism for accessing culture and allows the development of communities.
He also explained that today the identification of tourism within an encapsulation according to its purpose at the chosen tourist destination is no longer valid. In the morning we can go to the beach and this will make us “sun and beach tourists”, at noon we can have a meal in a good restaurant so we will be “gastronomic tourists”, in the afternoon we will take a walk around a small town and we will be “rural tourists” or we will go to a museum and we will be “cultural tourists” and at night we will go out so we will finally be “binge drinking tourists”. Therefore, tourism and the tourist complement and feed each other, in that one wants to satisfy and the other wants to feel satisfied.
One of the areas of tourism, gastronomic tourism, is growing a lot in recent times. According to Professor Salvat, the new trends are:
Regarding the products:
–Local products that identify a territory and that contribute to its local development. In addition, they must be of quality (D.O. and I.G.P.).
-New products with tradition and innovation.
Regarding the markets:
–New markets: people with great interest in the preparation and consumption of agri-food products.
According to Gaudí, “originality consists of returning to the origin”.
He also defined tradition as a social construction that we continually make and cited the example of calçotades, which date from the mid-twentieth century and from a very specific location, Valls, and have become a tradition throughout Catalonia that is even exported.
He also contrasted the concept of landscape as a fundamental element of well-being versus uprooting, which is the result of homogenization. He elaborated on the concept of landscape: “man does not have territory, he has landscape which is territory plus culture.” The landscape allows working intangible factors such as the symbolic and identity-related.
Tourism is an essentially geographical activity.
Society reaffirms its identity through the landscape, turning the place into the battleground between global homogenizing trends and the claims of what is unique and native:
“The feeling of defenselessness, impotence, insecurity in the face of this new context of globalization and internationalization of social, cultural, political and economic phenomena provokes a return to micro-territories, to micro-societies, to the place in short. The need to feel identified with a specific space is now, again, felt with intensity, without this inevitably meaning returning to pre-modern forms of territorial identity. If one pays attention to this phenomenon of ‘return to the place’ that we have just described and adds it to the powerful and conjunctural neo-developmentalism in which the country has been immersed for some years, one should not be surprised by the territorial malaise that affects us and that, curiously, is channeled, is ‘somatized’, in most cases, through the landscape.” Joan Nogué, Enrahonar 45, 2010, p134.
How do we generate symbolic value of the place? How can we make our place attractive to tourists?
-“Nodes”: the places to visit
-“Signals”: fragments of reality that highlight the link between the products and the area
-“Meanings”: those that allow recognizing the expected identity of the place visited.
What is the semiotics of attraction?
A sign represents something for someone. For this to happen we need a marker (prior to the visit, what we expect to find from the place we will visit), view (the object, the place to visit) and tourist. We must not lose sight of the fact that the tourist makes an investment in their place of visit and wants to see its return, we must ask them what they want, what they need and we must be able to surprise them.
According to Professor Salvat, we must be able to turn the Marcona almond into a marker, since it meets the conditions to be one. He concluded by saying: “if we are what we eat: give me Marcona almond!”
This farmer, a specialist in hazelnuts but also dedicated to the cultivation of Marcona almonds, explained the problems of the Marcona almond tree:
–Almond canker: disease caused by a previous injury to the almond tree that can seriously affect the health of the tree.
–Fungal problems.
–Sudden fruit drop.
Regarding the abandonment of the variety, she explained the reasons:
–Promotion of other varieties with later flowering.
-New intensive and super-intensive plantations, which, on the other hand, are more likely to generate fungal diseases.
–Price trends.
Climate change, “luck or challenge?
–Frosts will be avoided, so lethal for the Marcona almond
-There will be water scarcity, although the almond tree only needs to be watered when it really needs it.
Finally, she highlighted the need to increase prices so that the farmer can earn a living.
Some issues that were debated:
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