Martorana fruit, also called marzipan is a typical Sicilian dessert, in particular from the province of Palermo, made with sugar, almond paste and food coloring.
In reality, the Marzapan has Arab origins, and in the past it was a wooden box with an interlocking lid, which was used to keep correspondence or send sweets prepared with almond paste.
The original Martorana fruit recipe dates back to the thirteenth century
The almond plant is native to Asia Minor, and since ancient times it has spread among all the Mediterranean countries, including Sicily, which has perfectly integrated it into its cuisine and in particular in the preparation of typical sweets and granitas.
The original recipe of Martorana fruit dates back to the 13th century and was produced by the nuns of the convent of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, who made it for the noblewomen of the order of San Benedetto, on the occasion of the feast of the dead, and by the will of the founder of the convent, the noble Eloisa Martorana.
This dessert is considered a true work of art
It is said that the Bishop would have gone to visit the gardens of the Monastery, of whose beauty everyone spoke; but it was the middle of winter, and the trees were bare. It was on that occasion, then, that the nuns decided to make colored fruit with marzipan and revive the vegetable garden. And towards the middle of the 20th century, the nuns began to sell martorana fruit to the noble families of Palermo.
This dessert is considered a true work of art, because it is a perfect reproduction of the fruit, and is prepared cold or hot.
The differences between the two procedures concern some ingredients
The differences between the two procedures involve the use of some ingredients instead of others, including vanillin, used only in the hot method, while glucose is used for the cold process. After preparation, the products are colored with natural dyes, so that they take on the perfect appearance of real fruit.
Viceré Sicily, faithful to the tradition of the ancient aristocracy who lived on the island, uses only high quality and locally sourced raw materials for its products, to give gourmets a piece of authenticity of our Sicily.
