Honey, sugar, hazelnut or almond, angel bread and egg whites. They are the ingredients of the nougat recognized with the designation of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) of Agramunt, a town that these days smells of chocolate and nougat. Today the Fira del Torró and the Xocolata a la Pedra begins. The City Council expects 25,000 people to pass through in two days.
The sweet pavilion is the epicenter of the fair. It is the space of nougat producers with PGI Nougat from Agramunt: Lluch, Agramuntina, Vicens Roig, Felix and Virginias. Also from nougat references, among them Lluc Crusellas, recognized as the best chocolatier in the world in the prestigious international competition World Chocolate Masters 2022, or Miquel Guarro, pastry director at the Hoffmann School.
For local companies it is a showcase to show their news. Vicens nougat presents 10, including a strawberry and cream Chupa Chups nougat or toasted almond and ham with chopped almonds.
Torrons Fèlix, this year, has a new white chocolate truffle ingot with vanilla. It is told by Zoe Valero, from the second generation of the family business. Last year she opted for a nougat ice cream from Agramunt.
For its part, Virginias is betting on an umami nougat in the shape of a cocoa pod, a nougat that, according to its owner, Joan Santacreu, will be in limited quantities.
The Nougat and Chocolate Fair is the largest open event in Agramunt. According to its director, Tamara Lombardo, the City Council dedicates 150,000 euros to it, more budget than the local fiestas.
“A lot of people turn out, in addition to the nougat makers and chocolate companies, many businesses participate, because the fair runs through the entire historic center of the city, the economic impact is important.”
Lombardo highlights the agro-food pavilion, designed for local products, with pairing sessions of drinks with nougat, wines with cheeses, beers with sausages.
After last year’s premiere, this year the fair is once again betting on the Chocolate and Wine Classroom with tastings with the Costers del Segre Designation of Origin in the Espai Guinovart art gallery.
Jordi Cuixart, former president of Òmnium Cultural, will inaugurate this Saturday the fair in which the Torronaire d’Honor will be the popular Lerida influencer Señor Postu and the City Council will present the work of the new Plaza del Torró. The artist Serafina Balasch the model of the sculpture she is working on to install in the plaza.
