Caltanissetta Torrone

Caltanissetta’s traditional torrone, a type of nougat known as “Turruni” in the local dialect, was first made over 150 years ago.
Inland Sicily offers the perfect conditions for growing almonds and pistachios, two of the three ingredients in the classic recipe. The nut trees flourish in the fertile soil, their fruits ripening in the hot Mediterranean sun.
The third ingredient is honey, generally from mixed flowers, in which the delicate notes of sulla (French honeysuckle) meet the slight spiciness of yarrow, whose flowers blanket the countryside with color in late spring.
The manual process of making the torrone is passed down from generation to generation, along with the tools used to give it shape and life. The distinctive characteristic of the recipe is the slow cooking of the honey, which continues for almost 9 hours over a low flame in a “quadara” or cauldron.
After these many hours, the toasted almonds and pistachios are added. The mixture, called “la fatta,” is spread out on “tulari,” typical beechwood frames. Some additional chopped pistachios are sprinkled on top, then it is levelled with a wooden rolling pin.
Once cooled, the torrone is taken out of the frames and cut into typical “stecche” or bars, weighing 50, 100 or 250 grams, which are wrapped individually by hand.

Season

Nougat is produced all year round.