Ten Generations of Turrón Christmas Candy

As you settle in for Christmas, I’d like to tell you about our friend José Manuel, owner of the legendary candy maker, Turrónes 1880. Hopefully you are sipping a nice cup of coffee and nibbling some turrón candy as you read this!

We met José Manuel Sirvent for the first time many years ago in the town of Jijona. This small village in the mountains is surrounded by almond groves and abundant honeybees, producing the key ingredients for turrón candy - almonds and honey. Over hundreds of years the village became synonymous with turrón, so much so that one of the most famous types is called Jijona.

The Sirvent family business is deeply woven into the town’s history. José Manuel is the current guardian of his family’s legacy of candy making, which started in Jijona all the way back in 1725. That was when the first members of the Sirvent family began blending almonds and honey into the rich turrón that would become a Spanish Christmas classic. (1880 is a reference to the year the ‘modern’ recipe was perfected.)

In Spain, turrón candy is a celebrated holiday tradition, when the sweets are presented on a tray for guests at Christmas. For José Manuel, they represent a tribute to the generations that kept the craft alive through wars, natural disasters and changing tastes.

José Manuel was literally born into the world of turrón. His earliest memories are of the scent of toasted almonds and warm honey drifting up from the factory floor into the family home above. Those mornings of helping open the shop, serving customers and watching which sweets caught their eye sparked his early fascination with the family business.

After studying in the U.S., he was still exploring his path in life in his 20s. The tragic passing of his brother at just 25 years old changed his life forever, bringing him home to help with the family business. Eventually his father appointed him general manager of 1880, making him the tenth generation to run the company.

Over the years, José Manuel and his family have modernized their facilities and expanded their selection of turrón, always with an eye on tradition. And now, the eleventh generation has arrived: Beatriz and Isabel, his niece and daughter, are now part of the leadership team, the first women to run the company in its three-century history. His son, Juan Antonio, contributes as well. So, the tradition continues as strong as ever.

Our visits with José Manuel have always included exploration and discovery. He and my brother Tim hiked into the Alicante mountains and happened upon a herd of mouflones, magnificent wild mountain sheep. He showed Tim some ancient neveros, or wells, that were used to store winter snow. In the summer, the snow was transported to the cities at lower elevations where it was used, among other things, for making turrón ice cream!

Another time, we traveled to his finca in Morocco, where he grows thousands of Marcona almond trees to supplement the Spanish almond harvest. The air was so thick with honeybees pollinating the white almond flowers that we had to scurry for shelter! He then explained that almonds are in the same family as plums and peaches, and that many almond trees are actually grafts on a peach tree trunk. Holding a dried almond in its shell, I suddenly noticed how similar it was to a peach pit.

After spending a day in the almond groves with José Manuel, I could see clearly that the ancient craft of turrón making, of expertly blending rich roasted almonds with sweet amber honey, is in his blood. Tim and I feel so fortunate to know José Manuel and see his family’s deep legacy transitioning to a new generation.

¡Feliz Navidad!