A house, a region
Jijona is a village inland from Alicante whose name became the name of a product: turrón. Castillo de Jijona is made there by Turrones José Garrigós, S.A., on the Jijona to Alicante road, kilometre 3.
The Garrigós house says it was founded in 1890 by José Garrigós as a family business; it became a company in 1958 and a public limited company in 1978. The Castillo de Jijona brand has another origin: it was born in 1963 from two men selling turrón at fairs. The two stories meet in April 1991, when the two houses joined forces.
The name matters because it is controlled: Turrones José Garrigós appears on the official list of companies registered with the regulating council for the Jijona and Turrón de Alicante protected geographical indications. That is the seal printed on the box.
How they work
The house describes its work in two parts: it says it sticks to the most artisanal processes and recipes for its turrón while also using new technologies, and it speaks of controlling fire and humidity and of a carefully made mix. The rest is on the label: for the Turrón de Alicante, 60% toasted almond and 10% honey.
Why we chose them
In Switzerland turrón mostly shows up in December, often with no house name on it. I wanted one you can trace: a house in Jijona, registered with the regulating council, supreme quality, with the short ingredient list that comes with it — almond, honey, egg white. And a full range, including the no-added-sugar versions, because at Christmas there is always someone at the table looking for them.
Their products
12 items from Castillo de Jijona
