Marlona, caramelized almonds in chocolate from the Penedès
Marlona is the chocolate brand of Sherpa Ibérica from Sant Pere Molanta near Barcelona. In their own workshop, whole Mediterranean almonds are caramelized in sugar and honey, coated layer by layer with chocolate in a kettle, and finally dusted with fine cocoa.
Marlona stands for caramelized almonds under a layer of chocolate, produced in the Catalan Penedès region southwest of Barcelona. The center is always the same, but the coating changes: dark chocolate, white chocolate, or salted caramel in the Marlona Classic line. This is complemented by collections with tea, matcha, and dessert flavors.
A workshop among vineyards
The workshop is located in Sant Pere Molanta, a district of Olèrdola, in the middle of the Penedès wine-growing region and less than forty minutes by car from Barcelona. It is an area where wine, cava, and sweets have belonged together for generations.
Behind the brand is the company Sherpa Ibérica, which supplies candies and confectionery to several countries from here. Production follows European food law and the IFS Food standard, and every batch can be traced. That sounds sober, but it is the prerequisite for a small workshop to also be able to supply hotels and restaurants.
The caramelized almond as the heart
In the beginning, there was a simple idea: to make the caramelized almond the centerpiece of a praline rather than a garnish. Over the years, this has become a whole range that still thrives on this single core.
The almonds are tossed in a hot kettle with sugar and honey until a crispy crust forms around them and the honey gives them color and depth. Then the real work of patience begins, the panning: the almonds rotate for hours in the kettle while liquid chocolate is added in small quantities, and each layer must harden before the next follows.
In most varieties, there is also a thin layer of praliné made from roasted hazelnut and almond between the core and the chocolate. It is the reason why these pralines taste softer than a simply coated almond, and it rounds off every bite.
Finally, the finished dragees run through fine cocoa powder. This takes away the shine from the chocolate, gives it a matte finish, and contrasts the sweetness in the core with a tart note.
Dark, salty, or mild
The Marlona Classic series shows best how far this single core can go. In dark chocolate, the almond becomes tart and bold; with salted caramel, it becomes sweet and salty with a toffee note; and in white chocolate, it is mild and creamy.
The range extends beyond that to include coffee, coconut, tiramisu, and wild berry. Those who look further into Marlona will find collections with black, green, and white tea, with matcha, with dessert flavors like brownie or crema catalana, and a line with crunchy toppings.
The boxes are available in several sizes, from the flat eighty-gram pack to the large carton for gifting, in addition to mixed assortments. Each variety has its own color, while the golden ornament and the curved lettering remain the same.
What these pralines go with
The workshop itself names coffee, aromatic teas, sweet wines, and sparkling wines as the obvious companions, and in the Penedès, that primarily means Cava. After a meal, such an almond is the perfect little finale that doesn't require a plate.
In hotels and restaurants, such a praline is often left as a welcome gift on the pillow or next to the bill, and the workshop develops special formats for exactly this clientele. In between times, without an occasion and without a plate, it is just as appropriate.
On a spoonful of ice cream or next to fresh berries, it becomes a dessert in two minutes. And because the boxes look like they are already wrapped, they often land as a souvenir on foreign coffee tables, especially during the Advent season.
Anyone who likes Catalan chocolate should best continue looking at Blanxart from Barcelona, where they have been working from bean to bar since 1954. Both houses are side by side in the chocolate-covered nuts and fruits category.
