Marzipan

:This article is about the food. For the Homestar Runner character, see Marzipan (character).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Marzipan is a confectionery consisting primarily of ground almonds and sugar that derives its characteristic flavor from bitter almonds, which constitute 4% to 6% of total almond content by weight. Most marzipan is also flavored with rosewater.

Related Topics:
Confectionery - Almond - Sugar - Bitter almond - Rosewater

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Believed to have originated in Persia (present-day Iran), marzipan became a specialty of the Baltic Sea region of Germany. In particular, the city of Lübeck has a proud tradition of marzipan manufacture. 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.

Related Topics:
Persia - Iran - Baltic Sea - Germany - Lübeck - Niederegger

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 and preservatives. In the U.S., marzipan must include at least a quarter almonds by weight, otherwise it is considered to be almond paste.

Related Topics:
Almond oil - Rosewater - Honey - Pistachio - Preservative - Almond paste

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It is often made into sweets: two 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, such as pigs, is a traditional treat for New Year's Day.

Related Topics:
Sweet - Cake - Wedding cake - Christmas cake - Stollen - Pig - New Year's Day

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Marzipan is also used in Tortell, and sometimes in some versions king cake, eaten during the Carnival season.

Related Topics:
Tortell - King cake - Carnival

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Italy, Marzipan is often shaped and painted with food colorings to resemble fruit, especially during the Christmas season.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The German name has completely ousted the former English name marchpane with the same apparent derivation: "March bread." Marzipane is documented earlier in Italian than in any other language, and the sense "bread" for pan is Romance. However, the ultimate etymology is unclear; for example, the Italian word derives from a Middle Latin word meaning "small box" and originally having the meaning of a coin on which a figure of a seated Christ was imprinted. 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.

Related Topics:
Romance - Oxford English Dictionary - Martaban - Burmese

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~