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Marzipan
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Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar and almond meal.
It derives its characteristic flavor from bitter almonds, which constitute 4% to 6% of the total almond content by weight. Some marzipan is also flavored with rosewater. Persipan is a similar, but cheaper product, for which the almonds are replaced by apricot or peach kernels.
It is often made into sweets: common uses are marzipan-filled chocolate and small marzipan imitations of fruits and vegetables.
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Encyclopedia
Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar and almond meal.
It derives its characteristic flavor from bitter almonds, which constitute 4% to 6% of the total almond content by weight. Some marzipan is also flavored with rosewater. Persipan is a similar, but cheaper product, for which the almonds are replaced by apricot or peach kernels.
It is often made into sweets: common uses are marzipan-filled chocolate and small marzipan imitations of fruits and vegetables. It is also rolled into thin sheets and glazed for icing cakes and is traditionally used in wedding cakes, Christmas cakes, and stollen. In some countries marzipan is shaped into small figures of animals as a traditional treat for New Year's Day. Marzipan is also used in Tortell, and in some versions of king cake eaten during the Carnival season.
In Italy, particularly in Palermo, marzipan (marzapane) is often shaped and painted with food colorings to resemble fruit — Frutta martorana — especially during the Christmas season. In Portugal, traditional marzipan (maçapăo) fruit shaped sweets made in the Algarve region are called morgadinhos. There are other regions, as Toledo in Spain in which marzipan is shaped into simple animal shapes, and usually filled in with egg yolk (yema) and sugar. In Latin American cuisine, marzipan is known as mazapán and is also traditionally eaten at Christmas, though "Mazapan" is generally made with peanuts in place of almonds. In the Netherlands Marzipan figures are given as presents to children during Saint Nicholas' Eve. In Germany it is common to give marzipan in the shape of a pig as new year presents, known as a "Glückschwein".
In the Middle-East, marzipan (known as lozina, which is derived from the word ??? lawz, the Arabic word for almonds) is flavored with orange-flower water and shaped into roses and other delicate flowers before they are baked.
History
Marzipan used to be so popular that it was eaten as a dish in its own right. In medieval times it was moulded to create elaborate sculptures that were presented to diners at the end of feasts. Later, large marzipan or 'marchpane' cakes were served as a separate course at banquets. When fashions changed, these cakes were replaced by those now typical of Christmas and weddings.
There are proposed two lines for its origin, they are not necessarily contradictory but can be complementary, as there has always been Mediterranean trade and cooking influences. In both cases, there is a reason to believe that there is a clear Arabic influence for historical reasons (both regions were under Muslim control). Other sources establish the origin of marzipan in China, from where the recipe moved on to the Middle East and then to Europe through Al-Andalus.
Northeast Mediterranean line
Although it is believed to have originated in Persia (present-day Iran) and to have been introduced to Europe through the Turks, there is some dispute between Hungary and Italy over its origin. Marzipan became a specialty of the Baltic Sea region of Germany. In particular, the city of Lübeck has a proud tradition of marzipan manufacture (Lübecker Marzipan). The city's manufacturers like Niederegger still guarantee their marzipan to contain two thirds almonds by weight, which results in a juicy, bright yellow product of highest quality. Historically, the city of Königsberg in East Prussia was renowned for its marzipan production. Today, the term Königsberger Marzipan still refers to a special type of marzipan in Germany.
In Sicily it was (1193, known as panis martius or marzapane, i.e., March Bread).
Iberian Peninsula line
Another possible geographic origin is in current Spain, Al-Andalus at that time. In Toledo, Spain (850-900, though more probably 1150 during the reign of Alfonso VII, this specialty was known as Postre Regio instead of Mazapán) and there are also mentions in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights of an almond paste eaten during Ramadan and as an aphrodisiac.
In Toledo, Mazapán is its most famous dessert (currently created for Christmas). Almonds have to be at least 50% of the total weight, following the directives of Mazapan de Toledo regulator counseil.
Another idea to support this line is the important tradition on another almond-based Christmas candy in Spain: the turron
Under EU law, marzipan must have a minimum almond oil content of 14% and a maximum moisture content of 8.5%. Optional additional ingredients are rosewater, honey, pistachios, preservatives, and sometimes hazelnut. In the U.S., marzipan is not officially defined, but it is generally made with a higher ratio of sugar to almonds than almond paste. One brand, for instance, has 28% almonds in its marzipan, and 45% almonds in its almond paste. However, in Sweden and Finland almond paste refers to a marzipan that contains 50% ground almonds, a much higher quality than regular marzipan. In Germany, Lübecker Marzipan is known for its quality. It contains 66% almonds.
Etymology
The German name has largely ousted the original English name marchpane with the same apparent derivation: "March bread." Marzapane is documented earlier in Italian than in any other language, and the sense "bread" for pan is Romance. The origin could be from the latin term "martius panis", which means bread of march. However, the ultimate etymology is unclear; for example, the Italian word derives from the Latin words "Massa" (itself from Greek "Maza") meaning pastry and "Panem" meaning bread, this can be particularly seen in the Provençal massapan, the Portuguese maçapăo (where 'ç' is an alternative form for the phoneme 'ss') and old Spanish mazapan - the change from 'ss' to 'z' in Latin words was common in old Spanish and the 'r' appeared later. Among the other possible etymologies set forth in the Oxford English Dictionary, one theory posits that the word "marzipan" may however be a corruption of Martaban, a Burmese city famous for its jars.
The Real Academia Espańola suggests the idea of the Spanish word mazapán to be derived from the Hispanic Arabic picmá?, which is derived from the Greek pa?aµ?d???.
Another source could be from Arabic mawthaban "king who sits still."
However, if marzipan has its origin in Persia, it is not unlikely that the name may come from Marzban (in Persian: ??????, derived from the words Marz ??? meaning "border" or "boundary" and the suffix -ban ??? meaning guardian), a class of margraves or military commanders in charge of border provinces of the Sassanid Empire of Persia (Iran) between 3rd and 7th centuries CE.
It is also a possibility that the origin of this dessert and the origin of the term come from different geographical places.
See also
External links
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