Touron de Perpignan

Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales — the hazelnut and pine nut nougat confection of the Catalan-French capital, distinct from Provençal Nougat Noir (which uses Provençal Apis mellifera honey and almonds) by its use of roasted Corylus avellana (hazelnuts), Pinus pinea (pine nuts), and the caramelised sugar-and-honey mass specific to the Al-Andalus confectionery tradition. The name derives from the Arabic turun or turrun, and the preparation entered Roussillon via the Catalan kingdoms of Aragon during the 12th–13th centuries, themselves conduits for the North African and Moorish confectionery tradition that arrived in Iberia with the Arab conquest of 711.

Apis mellifera honey (Roussillon garrigue or orange-blossom) is warmed in a copper pan with caster-sugar to 140°C — the point at which the mass becomes brittle rather than chewy. Roasted Corylus avellana (whole, peeled) and Pinus pinea are incorporated immediately and the mixture turned out onto rice-paper-lined trays to a depth of 2cm. The surface is covered with additional rice paper and pressed flat with a board and weight. Once cooled to room temperature (minimum 2 hours), the touron is cut into bars with a sharp, lightly oiled knife. The cutting is done quickly — the sugar hardens further as it cools and becomes difficult to work. The traditional shape is rectangular (4cm × 8cm × 2cm). A second variation (touron mou — the soft version) cooks the honey-sugar to only 125°C and gives a nougat-like texture rather than the hard-brittle standard form.

• Spanish turrón de Alicante (almond parallel)
• Provençal nougat noir (honey-nut structure)
• Sicilian cubbaita (sesame-honey brittle)
• North African simsim halva (sesame equivalent)

The deep, almost burnt-caramel character of the Roussillon garrigue honey against the roasted hazelnut and pine nut sweetness. The brittle shatter releases an immediate rush of nut oils. The pine nut specifically gives a resinous, coastal Mediterranean note that is absent from Spanish turrón de Alicante (which uses almonds only). This is a confection that carries the Moorish spice trade in its structure.