Calisson is a soft candy from Provence, France, made from ground almonds and candied fruit. It is shaped like an almond or diamond and has a white royal icing glaze. Its name has various origins, and it is traditionally made in Aix-en-Provence. The candy is made in two stages, and modern factories use diamond molds to create uniform shapes.
Calisson is a type of soft candy originating in France, specifically in the Provence region. It is often shaped like an almond or a diamond and has a white royal icing glaze. It is mainly made up of a paste created by grinding almonds and candied fruit, usually melons and oranges. It is said to have a texture similar to that of a fondant or marzipan, but what sets it apart is its fruity taste from the candied fruit. This gummy candy is still traditionally and largely made in Aix-en-Provence, a city in Provence.
There are several accounts of how the calisson got its name, one of which is that the candy originated from Italy around the 17th century. The candy was known in Italian as “calicem” or “calisone”, and was believed to have the power to fight the bubonic plague. Before being eaten, the candy would undergo a ritual in which the Archbishop would bless it before distributing it to those who believed in the power of the candy. When the candy was introduced in France, its name was changed to “calissoun” and then to “calisson”.
Another story dates back to the 15th century, during the wedding of the French king René of Anjou and Queen Joanna of Laval, his second wife who was said to have never smiled. When the queen was served with some sweets created in her honor, she smiled, causing the courier to react by saying, “Di calin soun” or “They are sweets”. In this way, the phrase was transformed into the word “calisson”.
Traditionally, calisson usually undergoes two main stages: preparing its paste and its actual moulding. When the paste is made and the orange fruit is not included, the peel of the fruit is integrated into the paste to give the candy a tangy flavour. Some recipes suggest dipping the candied fruit in almond liqueur to give the candies a more intense flavour. The pasta is then treated in a double boiler, in which the container holding the pasta is placed over a larger container containing water before placing it in the oven.
Once the pastry is cooked and cooled, it is rolled into a rectangular shape on a piece of wax or wafer paper. The paste is then cut into equal strips, which are then cut into small diamond shapes. The candies are dipped or smeared with royal icing and are allowed to cool for the icing to harden. Modern calisson factories use trays embedded with diamond molds to create uniformly shaped candies.
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