Jijona/Xixona

Jijona/Xixona
—  Municipality  —
Jijona/Xixona
Coat of arms
Jijona/Xixona Location in Spain
Coordinates: 38°32′21″N 0°30′29″W
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Valencian Community
Province	Alicante
Comarca	Alacantí
Judicial district	Sant Vicent del Raspeig
Government
• Alcalde	Ferran Verdú (2007) (PSOE)
Area
• Total	163.76 km2 (63.23 sq mi)
Elevation	453 m (1,486 ft)
Population (2008)
• Total	7,575
• Density	46/km2 (120/sq mi)
Demonym	Xixonenc(a) (Valencian) Jijonenco/a (Spanish)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	03100
Official language(s)	Valencian

Jijona (Spanish: [xiˈxona]) or Xixona (Valencian: [ʃiˈʃona]) is a town and municipality in the Valencian Community on the eastern coast of Spain.

Turrón

The town is famous for a type of soft nougat, known in Spanish as Turrón de Jijona and in Valencian as Torró de Xixona. This is mostly due to the extensive Almond farming that has existed since the Moorish farmers originally cultivated the almond trees following the Islamic conquest of the Iberian peninsular. Several factories produce turrón, which is all distributed for sale in December. Some varieties are very expensive.

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  Soft and hard, with whole almonds

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  Fine and grainy turrón

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  Mallorquina

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  Oxfam packaged 'Extra Quality' turrón

Xixona Viewed from hills overlooking the town, from the castle ruins

Xixona viewed from hills 3 miles (4.8 km) to south, near Barranco

External links

• Foods from Spain. Jijona/Xixona PGI , a soft confectionery made by cooking sugar and honey, adding and kneading in roasted almonds and egg white.
• Jijona/Xixona Website with a video of the city and the turrón museum, from a local citizen
• Les Fonts de Xixona