Marzipan is known and beloved over much of the world as an indispensable component of many sweet treats. And it takes a lot of hard work to make it right. But that didn’t dissuade a Mexican company from building the new world’s record Mazapán!
Enrique Michel Velasco, CEO of Dulces de la Rosa. And his Official World Record certificate…
Why?
The reasons for making the monster marzipan (spelled ‘mazapán’ in Spanish) was entirely a matter of expressing pride in the makers’ culture and mazapán-shrouded heritage.
“Thousands gathered at Plaza de Las Banderas to witness this achievement, a tribute to the vibrant Mexican culture within the United States,” the official news release stated. “The enormous mazapán […] surpassed the brand’s previous record in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2018.”
Mexican mazapán differs fundamentally from traditional European marzipan in one key way. Mazapán is mainly composed of ground peanuts, while marzipan is traditionally made of ground almonds. The authentic formuli for the two also vary in the amount of sugar they contain, with the Mexican type using more.
But at 1.5 parts dry roasted unsalted peanuts to one part powdered sugar, the new Guinness Record holder still represents one heck of a checkout total at the supermarket…
By the numbers…
How large? The thing, pictured above, measures 11.8 ft. across and a little over 5 ft. tall. It would ‘swallow up’ 2 of me laid end to end. And come up to my nose, standing!
You can easily see why the Mexican mazapán tradition is based on peanuts. Almonds are prohibit-ively expensive. But at traditional recipe ratios, the huge confection contains a reported 13,809 lb. of ground nuts and 6,212 lb. of powdered sugar. And that comes out to a whopping $55,245 grocery bill!
My take
If Dulces de la Rosa wasn’t ‘on the map’ before making its gargantuan mazapán, it is now. And the hispanic commujnity of Santa Ana, California, home of the company’s US HQ, has never been more proud.
With its world headquarters in Jalisco, Mexico, the company has become one its native land’s best-known brands, offering a wide selection of candies, snacks, chocolates, and chewing gum and other high quality sweets. It maintains it’s unquestioned supremacy by upping the record for the world’s largest mazapán every 5 years or so…
~ Maggie J.