There is nothing quite like the aroma of a box of sweet clementinas. Once we stopped to pick up a big bag of beautiful juicy oranges while driving the ocean side highway by Castellón de la Plana north of Valencia. They were so perfectly sweet and delicious we ate the whole bag before we found our hotel!

Now imagine capturing that fresh, pure flavor of oranges in a marmalade that you can eat with breakfast every day. This has been the obsession of Juan Carlos Garcia in the small Valencian village of Jalance.

His Mermelda de Mandarina is rated as the very best in Spain according to the respected gourmet guide: "Lo mejor de la gastronomía española".

Their comments:

"This marmalade offers immense complexity, with magically balanced sweet, acidic and bitter flavors that follow each other playfully and charmingly on the palate. The fruit always predominates, immaculate and clearly fitting into its natural starring role. The presence of the peel, sliced into a small julienne, adds flavor and texture to complement the natural gelatinousness. Pure, refreshing, nuanced...it is difficult to ask for more."

In 1922, Antonio Garcia Cerdan brought his first peach harvest to UCASA (Union Conservera y Arrocera) in Jalence. This cooperative developed a technique to create exceptional preserves.

In 1965, Carlos Garcia Rubio bought UCASA and his family has spend decades perfecting the extraordinary line of Jalancina mermeladas. Look closely at the jar you can see the little Valencian girl whom Carlos named "Jalancina" - a lady from Jalance, which is where these exquisite preserves continue to be produced.