Why do we still use marzipan, especially as so few people seem to like it

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A.� Marzipan isn't highly regarded in Britain today - it's often that bit of Christmas cake people leave to one side. It may be considered too sweet for the UK palate, but it has a long and varied tradition across Europe.

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Q.� So which other countries enjoy it

A.� A fine tradition of sugarcraft began on the Continent in the Middle Ages and has continued ever since. Every French patisserie includes a glass case of lovingly crafted marzipan figures, and the German town of Lubeck had a tradition for fine marzipan going back hundreds of years. In Italy, the flavour is so popular that liqueurs such as Amaretto are best-sellers. In France, almond paste is an ingredient of the "galette des rois" or Twelfth Night Cake, complete with golden crown to be worn by the finder of the lucky "bean" inside. The German Christmas speciality Stollen also has a thick layer of marzipan running through.

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Q.� Where does it originate from

A.� Marzipan's origins probably lie in the Middle East, probably brought back to the west by the Crusaders. The Arabic word mawtaban means king on a throne.

Some authorities suggest Marci panis (St Mark's Bread) as a deriviative, or that it is a distortion of the word "mazaban", the wooden boxes used to transport almonds in the 13th century. In Old English it was known as "marchpane". Marzipan was claimed to have curative properties and at first was made only by apothecaries for medicinal purposes: stringent laws prevented retailers from trading in anything other than raw materials. However, it did not stay medicinal for long. Almonds were imported from very early on but they were always expensive. They were usually ground to a paste then mixed with sugar and rose water.

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Q.� When was it first used on cakes

A.� The chief use of medieval marzipan was in "subleties", giant centrepieces used between courses at feasts to impress guests. Huge figures of people, animals, trees, castles and even St Paul's Cathedral were made and shown to audiences.

The marriage between marzipan and plum cake began in the 19th century. It was introduced to a double-iced cake - the layer of almond paste meant to prevent the royal icing being stained by the fruit. Battenburg is one of the few cakes that uses almond paste, though Victorians devised a Simnel Cake, originally a Mothering Sunday confection baked by servants (it's now used at Easter).

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Q.� How is it made

A.� Few people actually make the stuff these days. The recipe involves lengthy boiling and ready-made and ready-rolled marzipan is easily available at supermarkets. Renshaws, one of the UK's leading brands, started in 1898 when John F Renshaw rented a room in Fenchurch Street and began mixing it in his bath-tub.

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Katharine MacColl

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