What's the Deal with Marzipan? (2024)

FAQs

What is the marzipan rule? ›

The rule is that only a mass containing at least 50 parts of marzipan (which must be made of at least half almonds and no more than half sugar) and 50 parts of sugars (usually i.e. icing sugar) may be sold and produced under the name marzipan.

Almond paste is a fine-ground mixture of half almond and half sugar, or two parts almonds and one part sugar. One type of almond paste is called marzipan.

When people say they don't like Christmas cake, often they mean they don't like marzipan. Oddly, the paste elicits strong feelings while its core ingredient, almonds, often don't. For some, it tastes too bitter. “Almonds take you to bitterness, they can stop short, but they take you to bitterness.

Marzipan is a ready-to-eat sweet treat traditionally found in confectionary shops across Europe. Made from ground almonds, sugar and egg whites, it is often shaped and dyed or painted as realistic fruits and vegetables. Different countries have different marzipan traditions.

However, marzipan isn't especially popular in North America. It's not that we don't like it—because unless you have a nut allergy, who wouldn't like marzipan? —it's just that we don't eat it much. Often, we just sell it as an ingredient called “almond paste,” which strikes me as functional and lacking in romance.

In Italy, particularly in Palermo, marzipan (marzapane) is often shaped and painted with food colourings to resemble fruit—Frutta martorana—especially during the Christmas season and on Il Giorno dei Morti (All Souls' Day) on November 2. May 9 and 10 are also special days for eating marzipan in Sicily.

Marzipan is fine as a short term source of simple carbs but anyone suffering from diabetes should avoid it because it would cause the blood sugar levels to spike (and then drop in normal metabolisms) as Eric so rightly says… however each block of marzipan has in excess of 7000 Calories.

The German name 'marzipan' has supplanted the original English name 'marchpane. ' Some theorise that it originally comes from the Latin 'martius panis', or 'March bread'.

The invention of marzipan is usually attributed to Lübeck, Germany. Legend has it that during a 15th century famine when flour for making bread became scarce, the senate of Lübeck ordered bakers to create a replacement. Using eggs, sugar, and stores of almonds, the clever bakers came up with marzipan.

This delicacy is made from natural selected almonds, which ensures that all the beneficial substances inherent in almonds are preserved. The word “marzipan” is derived from the German word “Marzipan” or the Italian word “marzapane.” It is believed that the name was given in honor of St. Marcus.

What country eats marzipan? ›

Certain cities and regions throughout Europe claim marzipan as a specialty: Spain's Toledo (where it has protected designation of origin status), Portugal's Algarve, Italy's Palermo and Germany's Lübeck.

Persipan is similar to marzipan but is made out of apricot or peach kernels instead of almonds, and is often used as a substitute in the event of nut allergies. Here are some common marzipan recipe options: Ground skinless almonds, powdered sugar, egg whites, and almond extract.

Marzipan is used in a variety of dessert and candy recipes, including everything from cookies and cakes to truffles and pralines. Marzipan is also often dyed and shaped into miniature fruits to be enjoyed on their own or used to decorate cakes.

Marzipan can be eaten raw and is used to make candies, ice cakes, or as a filling. Almond paste is similar to marzipan, but it has more almonds and less sugar.

It's best described as a sweet paste with a delightful almond flavour. Marzipan's main ingredients are almonds and sugar. The almonds are pressed before being combined with sugar to create the paste. The fact that marzipan ingredients include sugar explains why it was originally a luxury item.

The traditional layer of marzipan on a cake helps to keep the cake moist by trapping in moisture which in turn stops it from going stale. It also provides a smooth surface for your final icing covering.

Cover the cake with marzipan and then if possible let the cake stand for 24 to 48 hours so that surface of the marzipan can dry out. This gives a firmer surface for icing but also reduces the risk of any of the oils from almonds in the marzipan staining the white icing.

You can eat it as-is like candy, or press it into molds to make fun shapes like fruits, stars or animals. It can also be used like fondant as a cake topper or placed between two cake layers to create a flavorful divider.

Marzipan typically contains egg whites, which makes most store bought not vegan. Aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas, is the perfect egg white substitution in this recipe.