Marzipan? Do You Love It Or Hate It?

In the shop, when we're gathering chocolates to go into a ballotin, we always check first to see if the customer would like to include marzipan, or not.  The reply is either, YES, they love it or, CERTAINLY NOT, they hate it!  You wouldn't think that such a small thing as an almond would cause so much emotion.  Here's some information from the Niederegger marzipan web site regarding the health benefits of eating almonds:

Did you know that the almond – the main ingredient in our marzipan – is a true multi-talent as far as a healthy diet is concerned? It's amazing what is hidden behind the hard shell of the almond! Consumed in proper quantities, almonds can make a valuable contribution to your daily diet, and can help to prevent such lifestyle diseases as cardiovascular problems and metabolic disorders. Scientific studies provide evidence that the consumption of almonds as part of a healthy nutritional plan can achieve quite a lot. A 30 g portion (160 calories) contains mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, the antioxidant Vitamin E, proteins, dietary fibre, magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iron.  Almonds are approximately 25% proteins, about 12% fibres and a good 50% fats. The beneficial mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids mentioned above make up around 90% of those fats. The calorie content of 100 g is 580 kcal. One advantage of that is that almonds exhibit a high degree of saturation, and the healthy fats have a positive effect on the heart and circulatory system. Cholesterol can be prevented or even lowered. Moreover, almonds also contain the amino acid L-Arginine, which helps to maintain healthy vessels, thus offering potential protection against arteriosclerosis. Vitamin E, which acts as an antioxidant, is also found in almonds (26.1 mg/100 g). It impedes the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids by intercepting free radicals. In addition, almonds are rich in folic acid as well as Vitamins B1, B2 and B6, which are needed for energy production as part of carbohydrate metabolism and to transmit stimuli in the nervous system.  Almonds also furnish the minerals magnesium, potassium and calcium for the functioning of nerves and muscles. In our shop we stock the Niederegger marzipan loaves, in the 75g and 200g sizes, they're also available from our web shop  too!