Description
The Lübecker Marzipan PGI is a sweet produced from freshly shelled sweet almonds - having an especially aromatic flavour - and sugar, in maximum proportions which are lower than is normal with marzipan.
Production Area
The production area of the Lübecker Marzipan PGI is located within the borders of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck and the immediately adjacent towns of Stockelsdorf and Bad Schwartau, in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein.
Production Method
Lübecker Marzipan is a quality product made of marzipan raw mass and sugar, maintaining the traditional manufacturing process. By the traditional manufacturing process is meant a process in which the almonds are dropped into hot water and shelled, mixed with granulated sugar, finely rolled in granite rolling machines and roasted by a special process to become marzipan raw mass. The marzipan raw mass could be used pure without much more sugar or blended with icing sugar in specific proportions: with 70 parts marzipan raw mass and 30 parts sugar (max. 54.5% sugar) make the Lübecker Marzipan PGI; 90 parts marzipan raw mass and 10 parts sugar (max. 41.5% sugar) make the Lübecker Edelmarzipan PGI.
Appearance and Flavour
Lübecker Marzipan may be produced in any desired form e.g. as bread, fruit, Easter eggs, Christmas stars, heart motifs, plain or decorated with food colouring, with or without a chocolate coating to cover it. The classic product is marzipan bread on its own or coated with dark chocolate. Variations with the addition of flavourings, fruits or other oily seeds or nuts are also common and possible, but this must be referred to on the declaration.
History
The story of the creation of marzipan goes back to the time of the birth of Christ and to the Near East. Even at that time in Persia there were regulations on the manufacture of marzipan from crushed almonds and honey. In the Middle Ages (before 1500), Venetian merchants brought this tasty treat to Europe, including to Lübeck, where it was initially sold by apothecaries as a medicine. By this time marzipan was manufactured from almonds and expensive cane sugar. It was only with the settlement of French confectioners, in particular Maret, and the extraction of cheaper white sugar from the sugar beet produced in the region that marzipan found its place among sweets and cakes for wider classes of society.
Gastronomy
The Lübecker Marzipan PGI should be stored at 15-18°C. The original packaging or storage in the dark protects the marzipan from drying out and from moulds. It is consumed fresh, generally as a dessert, and is best when freshly taken out of the oven.
Marketing
The product is sold as Lübecker Marzipan PGI and Lübecker Edelmarzipan PGI. It is marketed in different packs, which also vary according to the time of the year. Packs for every occasion can be found, holding 125 gr with milk chocolate covering, and 100 gr without covering. During Christmas-time, on the other hand, one can find packs with or without cinnamon, with milk chocolate covering, holding 100, 150 and 200 gr. During the Easter period, one can find packs holding 75, 125 and 200 gr with milk chocolate covering, or 100 gr without covering. Lübecker Marzipan PGI is sold also as a semi-finished product in 12.5 kg blocks for further processing in cake shops and the confectionery industry.
Distinctive Features
The excellent quality and the particular aromatic taste of the Lübecker Marzipan PGI are based on the aromatic almonds, the traditional manufacturing process of fine rolling and roasting the marzipan raw mass and the sugar content being restricted to maximum levels.
