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National Marzipan Day

Food · January 12

A day for marzipan, the sweet almond paste that confectioners shape into tiny fruits, animals and smooth coverings for cakes.

National Marzipan Day falls on Tuesday, January 12, 2027. That is 77 days away.

Marzipan is a soft, sweet paste made mostly from ground almonds and sugar. It has the texture of a firm dough and a flavor that tastes like almonds, only more so.

Because it holds a shape so well, marzipan often ends up looking like something else. Confectioners roll it into miniature pears, strawberries and bananas, then tint it with food coloring until it could pass for a bowl of fruit seen through the wrong end of a telescope. Pigs, flowers and small figures turn up too. Bakers also roll it into thin sheets and drape it over cakes, where it makes a smooth layer under icing or stands on its own as the outer coat.

People who like it tend to like it a lot, and the taste is concentrated enough that a small piece goes a long way. You will often find marzipan dipped in dark chocolate, tucked inside a loaf of stollen, or pressed into the center of a chocolate bar. Some versions add a drop of almond extract or rosewater for extra perfume.

It is close kin to almond paste, which usually has more almonds and less sugar and is meant for baking into fillings rather than eating plain. Marzipan is the one that is smooth and sweet enough to sculpt, and soft enough to eat right away.

A plain piece, unwrapped and eaten slowly, will show you why bakers keep reaching for it.

Ways to celebrate

• Try a piece of chocolate-covered marzipan from a local bakery or candy shop.
• Shape a few tiny fruits from store-bought marzipan and food coloring.
• Make simple marzipan at home from almond flour, powdered sugar and a binder.
• Look for marzipan tucked inside a stollen or another filled pastry.
• Share a small box of marzipan sweets with a friend who loves almonds.

Dates

All national days on January 12

Also on January 12

• National Hot Tea Day
• National Curried Chicken Day

Categories: Food days