Turron story

The town of Jijona in Spain might be a small town, but it is famous for a sweet turron, which is a type of soft nougat.

A long time ago, the land of many hills with lots of sun was ruled by the people called Moors. They farmed a lot of almond trees, which were popular in their native land. The land that was dry without any snow. The flowers of the almond trees were white to pale pink. While blooming they changed scenery from dry to something very lively. After the blooming time, the petals of the flowers lying on the ground looked as snow.

The Moorish king fell in love with a Scandinavian princess. She lived in the north, where scenery was different. With less sun and more rain, her lands were blanketed in green shades of grass during the summers. During the winters the droplets of rain turned into the droplets of snow covering the grounds in white snowflakes.

The princess loved the king, but couldn’t help that she missed the snow.

The king wanted to make the princess happy. One day, he commanded, “I want the almond trees to be planted around the castle.” Some gardeners questioned, “Why?” The others simply followed the order.

The following spring the almond trees bloomed. Looking through the window, the princes smiled seeing the white blossoms. It reminded her of snow and the time she spent with her brother. Rolling down the hills in snow and landing at the bottom looking like a snowman. Throwing balls at her brother and making him say, “I’ll get you with the next snowball.” He was younger throwing balls clumsily.

Knock at the door made her realized she wasn’t alone in the room. The king paused before knocking and entering as he saw how happy his wife was. “Shall we take a walk,” he asked.

Soon the grounds were beautifully covered with the white petals. It was about to be the end of flowering season. “Aw, I wished the petals could last for a little bit longer,” the princess sighed.

The king wished for the same and pondered how to prolong the scenery of white petals. He called his advisers and explained the situation announcing, “Whoever comes up with the best solution, will be well rewarded.”

The word had spread out throughout the kingdom.

However, it was just around the corner per say. One of the bakers from Jijona used lots of honey while baking. The surrounding hills were covered in wild flowers, offering nourishment for the bees, which produced the sweet honey. With plenty of product to go around, the baker used his imagination to drip some honey where ever he could to sweeten the taste.

Hearing the recent announcement to make the princess happy, he came up with an idea of adding toasted almonds to honey. The new confection turned out in white shade, “That’s perfect,” the baker commented. He named it turron, developing the name from the word ‘toast.’

The baker presented at the castle with the new confection. He waited with anticipating for the princess to taste it. She looked at the color, and then tasted the soft delicacy, “This is amazing in color and taste. This reminds me of the blossoming trees. Now I can enjoy it throughout the year.”

Now, everybody was happy and the baker was well rewarded as promised.

Stroopwafel story

A long time ago, in the Netherlands, there was a family named Gouda. They built a castle by the river with a big fortress to protect the castle and its citizens. As they were the first people to settle in the area, the town was named after them.

Over the time, Gouda has become famous for trading cheese and was named after the city as Gouda cheese.  The city is also known for something sweeter, which is made in the city and is well-known. It is stroopwafel and this is where our story begins.

Once there was a baker in town. He made the perfect bread with crunchy crust taken out of the oven just in time. He had a daughter, who was a tiny human creature. She was so tiny that she could hardly lift a duckling.

Soon it was time to celebrate her birthday and he wanted to make something special for her.

As he was cleaning the place for the night, he gathered the breadcrumbs and thought, “What a waste.” “Oh, wait a minute,” the baker exclaimed, “Instead of throwing them away, maybe I can put them together.”

He ran around the bakery, pushing the baking tools to one side then to the other. Suddenly, he saw a funny looking form with tiny squares inside. He never used before. While inspecting the form, he realized that the tiny cuts were perfect for the breadcrumbs. He added some flavoring and pressed it together. The result was a very thin bread looking like a big cookie, which he named waffle.

The waffles were so delicate and to make them thicker, he spread some honey and put two of them together like a sandwich. The result was a sweet stroopwafel.

The stroopwafel became a favorite treat of kids, spreading its fame around the town and later outside throughout Netherlands.

 

The Chocolate Bowl

When you look at a map of Europe, you will see a land at the bottom shaped like a boot. This is the country of Italy, and the upper part of the “boot” is called the Piedmont region. The beautiful land of the Piedmont region is surrounded by mountains and is full of hazelnut trees. At the foot of the mountains is a very special city called Turin. Why is it special? Because it is known for its wonderful chocolate. Turin is where our story begins.

Some time ago, two famous chocolatiers lived in Turin. They constantly competed with each other by coming up with the most delicious melt-in-your-mouth chocolate, shaped in balls, squares, hearts, flowers, and flat rounds. Everything was made from the best quality cocoa.

One of the chocolatiers had a son by the name of Paolo. Paolo was a quiet boy—or at least it seemed that way. As soon as he could walk and was able to hold a wooden spoon, young Paolo was in the shop, mixing the chocolate. A small stool always stood by the table, ready to help the boy reach the counter. He even got his own special mixing bowl, painted in the deep brown color of chocolate. His father had bought it for him once he'd seen the boy’s eagerness to help and learn. He also put the boy’s initials on the bottom of the bowl, on the outside.

The bowl was such a perfect match that sometimes it was hard to tell which was the chocolate and which was the bowl. But that was not a problem for the boy. He used his finger to taste the difference.

“Paolo,” the father scolded. “Are you helping or eating?”

“Just checking, Papa,” the boy said with a smile. 

Paolo was fascinated with the chocolate swirl left behind by the mixing spoon. Holding it in both his hands, he went around and around.

“Enough, Paolo,” the father said. “It’s time to pour it into the forms.”

“Of course, Papa,” Paolo replied, grinning broadly. “I just wanted to make sure it was well mixed.”

Well, the boy might have been shy, but he had some mischief up his sleeve.

Sometimes, when Paolo's father’s back was turned or he was busy with customers, Paolo used his finger to make the swirl.

“Mamma mia, Paolo. You’ll eat all the chocolate,” his father groaned. Sometimes he wasn’t sure if the boy was a help or a nuisance, like bees that make the honey, but sting when you get in the way.

In his free time, Paolo enjoyed wandering through the woods, picking hazelnuts. He had mixed them in with the chocolate once or twice, but no more than that. His father didn’t like it.

“The chocolate loses its smooth texture,” the father said.

Among those calm hazelnut trees, Paolo found a spot where the sun's rays traveled through the leaves and fell on his face. He sat with his back against the trunk, his legs stretched out, and his hands like a pillow behind his head. He fantasized about dipping the hazelnuts into the chocolate and building a likeness of Pinocchio, a five-leaf clover, or perhaps a unicorn.

Paolo could daydream for hours. Usually the only thing that could wake him from his dreams was the chill at the end of the day. One evening, the cold became unbearable. Paolo put his hands in his pockets and hopped to keep warm, moving with big steps. As he came out of the woods, he saw Cara, the daughter of Turin's other famous chocolatier.

Cara giggled, seeing Paolo moving with his clumsy steps. “Ciao, Paolo. Are you …” Her voice trailed off as Paolo’s big eyes grew to the size of chestnuts. He looked surprised that she had even tried to start a conversation. Then he gave her a big smile, and she found the courage to finish the sentence. “Are you getting ready for the festival?”

“Of course,” Paolo said immediately, but his happy smile soon melted into a sad face. The area was suffering with a shortage of cocoa, and without cocoa they could not make their chocolate.

“Don’t worry, Paolo,” Cara said, guessing at the change of his mood. “You will come up with something as always.” All the kids knew that Paolo’s great imagination resulted in the most fun-looking chocolates.

The girl didn’t mention anything about her family moving to Perugia, another city known for its chocolate. Perugia was located in the middle of the “boot,” and Cara’s uncle was also a chocolatier. In Perugia he didn’t have much competition. He invited the girl’s family to join his

business so they wouldn't have to compete with the other chocolatier in Turin. Besides, everyone knew that this year there was not enough cocoa in Turin. Cara's family decided they would move to Perugia after this year's festival, since the festival was approaching very soon and this was something that everybody was looking forward to the whole year.

It was a week before the festival, all chocolatiers anonymously decided to put their minds together. “Each of us has to come up with an idea of how to stretch the little cocoa we have left,” said the tallest guy usually with the dullest ideas.

The next day, early in the morning, Paolo tossed and turned. He was too excited to sleep.  “Father!” he yelled running to his parent’s bedroom. While pushing the door to open, he almost knocked out a hole in the wall as the door slammed into it. “Hazelnuts! We can add hazelnuts and a little bit of cocoa we have left.” His hands moved in all directions, he just couldn’t contain his excitement.  

The father sighed. Not having an idea himself, he agreed to suggest it at the meeting.

All the chocolatiers approved of the idea as nobody had a better one.

“What if the chocolate will lose its smoothness?” whispered one of the concerned chocolatiers.

“We will crush the nuts well,” mumbled another.

At last, the boy’s dream was coming true.

It was the day. The big day had approached. The noises of the clicking spoons and bowls spread throughout the city. The smell of sweet chocolate travelled to the narrowest of the narrow streets waking the townsfolk for festivity. The cocoa, sugar and crushed hazelnuts were skillfully blended, creating the rich soft texture.

The chocolate sculptures were carved; one more elaborate than the other.

A fountain of chocolate flowed from a tiny vessel into a bigger one beneath and even bigger one at the bottom. One lady in a pretty blue dress with white long gloves on her hands dipped a red, sweet strawberry into the chocolate and sighed, “Mmmmmmmm.”

Tables bended under huge chocks of solid chocolate. Some were shaped into a carriage, like the one from which a gentleman just stepped out, “Give a way, please.” He walked with his head high and eyes in the sky that he almost missed a step and tripped.

Every chocolatier had a stand displaying small samples of their unique creations. One stand offered geometrical shapes such as oblong vessel, triangular pyramid, or round ball. Another offered something from the nature such as butterfly, leaf, or even a bird. Whatever prompted their imagination. 

After all was done, the spoons and bowls were cleaned and collected by each chocolatier.

There was so much joy and talk still after the festivity that the word spread out beyond the borders of the city.

As it was decided before the festival, Cara’s family left Turin. One family left to start a new life somewhere else. Paolo stayed on in Turin.

In the morning, the boy beamed with pride and got ready to mix and form some more goodies. He pulled the mixing bowl and a wooden spoon, but something wasn’t right. “That’s not my bowl.”

The boy dropped a tear or two, sniffed his nose once or twice. There was no choice, but to use a big bowl from now on.  

Some time passed, the boy took over the shop.

Now, the window display showed more and more intricate shapes. Chocolate flowers with bulky petals as they were filled with full hazelnuts took the central spot. Smooth and coarse balls as the second were covered in crushed nuts surrounded the chocolate flower.

People always flocked to try something new or just to admire a new shape displayed in the window. The awe of admiration was never ending.

One day, Paolo saw a familiar face in the window. The girl had dark hair split into two braids. With her pointy nose and perky eyes, she looked quite familiar. “Father, father, come here,” he recognized Cara.

The girl walked into the store and hesitantly said, “Ciao Paolo.” She wasn’t sure if the boy recognized her.

“Ciao, how is Perugia?” Paolo asked.

“All is well and the word reached us of a famous Paolo from Turin,” the girl smirked. “I thought you might need this,” she handed him his small chocolate bowl. “My father realized he had taken the wrong bowl when we reached Perugia, and held on to it in hopes of returning it one day,” the girl explained.

The girl stayed in Turin and married Paolo.

Even today, Paolo can be seen catching his son swirling chocolate with his little finger in the small bowl he passed on to his son.

Merchant's Remedy

When you look at a map of Europe, you will see a land at the top shaped like a dog named Scandinavia. Below the back paw of the dog, you will see a country called Estonia. Most of its coastline is hugged by large body of waters as its capital Tallinn. With easy access to the ports, many ships reached Tallinn’s shore bringing desirable goods. Among them were almonds discovered by the richest merchant of Tallinn on one of his voyages. And this leads us to one of the most interesting legends of the capital.   

One day after the summer, when some afternoons were still warm giving a break from the cold mornings and nights, the richest merchant of the city was busy inspecting the recently arrived cargo.

“Be gentle!” he instructed one worker, who wasn’t paying attention to the holes in the road while pushing a cart full of wine barrels. “My wine,” he mumbled with his hands holding his head as in distress. 

“Slow down!” he drilled another worker, who almost lost one of the sacks from his pushcart full of spices and nuts.  

So the usual instructions continued throughout the day.

With the sun setting earlier with each day, the merchant liked finishing his work before complete darkness overtook the city. With the first signs of sun going down, he rushed to his house, which was not far, right by the docks facing the water. This gave him just enough time to reach his house and enjoy watching a sunset from the window.

One such evening while admiring the sunset, he developed some cough. As a precautious man, he didn’t like to wait long with any ailment. So this prompted a rush to the pharmacy.

Cling clang, the merchant’s shoes hit the cobblestone road as he gusted with the winds towards the pharmacy. The winds hit his concaved back making his belly look even more protruded. The navy blue velvety sleeves in the shape of bells moved with the motion of his hands, like ringing bells. The white feathers attached to the front of his hat bended forward almost touching and tickling his nose. “Apshu,” he sneezed.

Upon reaching the pharmacy, out of breath he stopped to admire the colorful vessels displayed in the window. His eyes moved from a bright bottle filled with red liquid to a vibrant blue jar and finally his eyes rested on the face of a young apprentice, whose full concentration was on a scale measuring elements to make medicament. With his right hand he was carefully adding tiny weights to the right plate to balance with the left plate filled with components.

“Not him,” the merchant murmured. He appreciated the hard working apprentice, but his sense of humor made him uncomfortable. He was quite a serious man taking all matters seriously.

The cheery apprentice named Mart was carefully preparing remedies according to the written directions of the pharmacist. As soon as he heard the coughing man, he raised his eyes and pleasantly asked, “Oh, do we need something to clear the throat?”

“Yes, yes,” the merchant rushed with his answer. Hesitating for a moment he added, “I hope the remedy is not too bitter.” He never liked the taste of any medicine.  

He was about to leave, when he gazed at the pharmacy room decorated with the rows of shelves filled with the most colorful glass jars and ceramic vessels of different shapes and sizes filled with ointments, preserves, extracts, powder and confections. The last ones were of the most interest to the children. However, that reminded him about the wine, the most popular remedy with the grown-ups. “Is the pharmacist on the premise,” the merchant asked.

“In the storage checking inventory,” the apprentice replied.

“Oh, this is exactly why I need him.” Without any delay, he strolled in the pointed direction.

The wine storage was at the end of the corridor. He was about to knock on the door, when he saw an opened door on the left revealing a wooden frame imitating a ship skeletal turned upside down. This room was a bit more spacious than the wine room as it needed to fit the frame.

“The frame is used for drying medicinal herbs,” explained the pharmacist suddenly appearing in the door frame and seeing the long gaze on merchant’s face.

 “Where do you keep the herbs once they are dried?” the curious merchant enquired.

“I’m pretty sure you already have noticed those small wooden square drawers in the pharmacy main room.” Not expecting any confirmation, the pharmacist continued, “They are jam-packed with the already dried herbs.” After a moment he added to a still speechless merchant, “The drawers seem to be small, but they are deep.”

The merchant was in such awe seeing this amazing structure that upon reaching the house he realized that he had forgot to ask the pharmacist about the wine. “Oh, next time,” he sighed.

A few days went by and the merchant felt better. He continued with his usual work. If he was not inspecting the recently arrived goods, then he was at his store checking on his inventory.  

“How many wine barrels have we sold this month? Do we need to order more spices? Oh, we need more of those eye drop shaped nuts.” He meant almonds. For some reason he had a hard time remembering the name of those nutritious nuts. He walked around the store looking into each nook making sure he had not missed one thing from his list.

“Hh hh,” his throat was throbbing. “Is it dust?” he questioned.

In the evening, sitting in his cushioned green sofa with a cup of hot tea warming his hands, he enjoyed the view of the wood-fire, blazing radiantly in the fireplace and the warmth reaching him.

“Hh hh,” the throat continued bothering him even more now. “Oh no, another visit to the pharmacy and that boy; I just wished he kept quiet.” He murmured.

In the morning, before unlocking the heavy wooden door with squeaky metal hinges of his store, he rushed to the pharmacy first.

At the pharmacy, he learned that the weather was taking toll on the pharmacist himself, resulting in a delay for remedy.

“Why don’t you come back later? I’ll have my apprentice prepare something for you,” the pharmacist announced.

“But sweeter,” insisted the merchant. “Oh, before I forget again, do you need more wine?”

“Yes, I need another barrel by this Friday if possible,” replied the pharmacist.

“Of course,” the merchant left and the young apprentice was left to prepare the remedy.

Mart was a smart boy. He quickly learned the art of mixing different chemicals to achieve exceptional colors or preparing the different forms of remedies such as minerals, seeds, syrups, extracts, herbs and more. It all required some skill, which the young apprentice possessed and even more. The truth is as nice as he was and as hard as he worked, he wasn’t shy of a mischief. It’s hard to admit it, but it was quite charming.

While making the remedy, Mart remembered the merchant bringing some almonds once from the far lands he visited. He crushed the almonds in a small stone bowl making a smooth paste first and then adding some honey, “Just to make it a bit sweeter.” He mixed the ingredients with a grin on his face. The paste was a little bit sticky and to avoid any mess and complaints from the merchant, he rolled the paste and cut it into small pieces rapping them elegantly almost looking like a candy.

The sweet remedy worked like a miracle. The merchant’s throat was not bothering him anymore and for the first time he enjoyed the taste of it. It seemed as his body was injected with energy. He felt much lighter, faster and merrier.    

He became a frequent visitor to the pharmacy ordering more of the exact same remedy and explaining to Mart, “It makes me feel so energetic.”

“Of course,” the apprentice smirked.

On one occasion, while Mart was tediously mixing the powder in the far corner of the main room, the merchant whispered to the pharmacist, “Your apprentice is a very talented boy. His hands create miracles.” The merchant’s heart warmed toward the boy and his serious manner seemed to be changing as well.

On another occasion, he treated his guests with the new sweet remedy.

“What is it?” everybody wanted to know.

“It’s called Mart’s bread,” the merchant came up with the name right on the spot. In honor of the Mart’s creation, he thought to himself.

“Where can we purchase this delicacy?” At that question, the merchant hesitated as an idea sprang into his mind.

“It’s a special remedy made upon request.” He answered evasively. And that was it. Not another word would escape his cherry-colored lips.

As the remedy gained its popularity, the merchant decided this was the time to reveal his plan. He signed an agreement with the pharmacist that he’d help him to sell the delicacy at his store. So the merchant’s remedy was turned into a confection. It was also agreed that from now on they would call it Mart’s bread to avoid any disagreement between them two. The pharmacist was happy to be making lots of it as it was bringing him more profits and merchant was happy to be making his profits.

The confection became well known through-out the world and today we know it as marzipan.

 

The Ship with Three Decks, Italian Folktale

 

Once there was a poor couple, who lived in the woods of Italy, and they just had a baby boy. There was nobody around that they could ask as a godfather for the boy. So they went into the nearest town and on the church doorstep saw a man. The couple explained “We don’t know anybody to be our boy’s godfather. Would you be so kind to be his godfather?” The man agreed without any hesitation. After the boy was baptized, the godfather handed the couple a purse and a letter. He further explained “The money is for boy’s education and after he learns to read, please, give him the letter.” The speechless couple, by the time they found the words, the man disappeared.

There was enough money to educate the boy and after he learned to read, the parents handed him the letter and said “This is from your godfather.” The boy quickly opened the letter and read “Dear Godson, I was on a journey and now I am back in England. I am the king of England and I need an heir. When you read this letter, then it will be the right time to travel to me. However, while you travel, be aware of a squint man, a limping man, and a scabby man.”

So the boy said his farewell and set on his journey on foot. After a few days, he met a man, who asked “Where are you heading boy?” “To another country called England” answered boy. The man chuckled and said “It makes two of us. I am heading to England, too. We can accompany each other now.” The boy quickly noticed that the man’s eyes are crossed. So he knew to stay away from him. As the first opportunity presented, he swiftly changed roads travelling on his own again.

After a few days, he saw another man sitting at the side of the road. “Where are you going, young lad” asked stranger. “I am travelling to England” answered boy. “That makes two of us, why don’t we travel together” suggested the man. As soon as the man got up to walk, the boy noticed that the stranger was limping. So he knew to stay away from him and changed roads again.

As his journey continued, he met a man once more, but this time he hasn’t noticed anything wrong with him. Since they were going in the same direction, they traveled together. For the night, they stopped at an inn by the road. The boy being cautious handed his purse and letter to the inn-owner for safety. During the night, the stranger went to the inn-owner and said “My master wanted me to fetch his purse and the letter.” So the inn-owner handed the purse and the letter.

In the morning, the boy found himself flat broke and without the letter he questioned “How am I going to prove to the king that I am his godson.” Worried boy wasn’t sure if he should head back home or continue on his journey. However, he hasn’t walked far, when he spotted the man, who stole his possessions. The man said “Boy, if you wish, you can continue with me as my servant.” While saying it, the man took off his wig and the boy saw the scabby scalp. Now, he knew he was supposed to stay away from him, too. But it was too late. So he was hoping to outsmart the man along the way.

It wasn’t long, when they reach England and the king welcomed the man, who was disguising himself as his godson. The king quickly realized that the age wasn’t adding up. The man was too old to be his son. So he decided to test him.

One day the king asked the bogus godson to free his daughter. “She was captured by a mean fairy and is held captive on an island” explained king. The man promptly replied “Why don’t you use my servant, who is actually a very smart youngster.” The king called for the boy. The boy not sure how to rescue the princess, went to the shore and watched the ships. Out of nowhere appeared an old sailor and said “You seem as you could use some help.” Not waiting for any reply, the sailor continued “You need a ship with three decks, then you will need to load the first deck with cheese rinds, the second deck with bread crumbs and the last deck with stinking carrion. At the end you will pick me as the only sailor.”

Boy not questioning anything went back to the king and asked for a ship with three decks and three different loads. At the end he picked the old sailor and sailed away. They sailed and sailed and then in the distance they spotted a lighthouse. They approached it and heard a voice “Do you have cheese rinds?” “Yes” answered the sailor. “Good, we’ll take the whole cargo” said rat “And in return we’ll come, when you need our help.” So they left the Island of Rats and headed farther.

Now, in some distance, they saw a sandy beach. When they approached the island, they heard a voice “Do you have bread crumbs?” “Yes” answered the sailor. “Good, we’ll take the whole cargo” said an ant “And in return we’ll come, when you need our help.” So they left the Island of Ants and sailed farther.

Now, they noticed big rocky cliffs. As soon as they approached the island, they heard a voice “Do you have stinking carrion?” “Yes” answered the sailor. “Good, we’ll take the whole cargo” said vulture “And in return we’ll come, when you need our help.” So they left the Island of Vultures and continued sailing.

One day, they saw an island with big palace and gardens. “This must be the island” said the old sailor and anchored the ship.  As soon as they stepped out of the ship, a dwarf appeared welcoming them. He took them to the mean fairy. “How can I help you?” asked the fairy. “We came for the princess” answered the young boy. “Well, well” replied the fairy “You must undergo the three tests first to see if you are worthy of the princess.” She pointed at the window “Do you see the mountain? It blocks the sun from entering this window. You must remove the mountain by tomorrow morning, just in time for the sunrise.”

At first the boy got worried, but then he remembered the rats and called “Rats help me.” He hardly finished the sentence, when the rats appeared. They dug through the mountain from top to bottom and the mountain disappeared in no time.

In the morning, the fairy was awaken by the sun as she wished. Now, the boy had to perform the second task. The dwarf led him underground the palace to a big room. In the center, there was a pile of peas and lentils. “You have the whole night to separate peas from lentils” said the dwarf and left in a blink of an eye. The boy thought to himself “This is impossible,” but at the same time he remembered the ants. He called “Ants help me.” The ants appeared immediately and separated peas into one pile and lentils into another pile in no time.

The fairy couldn’t believe her eyes. She thought to herself “He somehow did the first two tests, but there is no way he’ll pass the third one.” She turned to the young boy and said “Fetch me the water from the fountain of youth.” “That’s easy” thought boy. But then the dwarf pointed him to another mountain and said “The fountain is at the top of that mountain, which is infested with beasts.” The youth worried for a moment and then remembered the vultures. He called “Vultures help me.” In no time, the vultures circled the mountain, filled their beaks with water and carried it down to the boy.

The fairy had no choice, but to free the princess. Happy king spotted his returning daughter through a telescope. Before they reached the shore, the king sorted the matter with the scabby man. The boy was recognized as the true godson and inherited the throne, and also married the princess.