What is the difference between jam and marmalade in culinary terms and in Italian law. Difference in denomination and definitions in common jargon.
Today , in common parlance, jam and marmalade are used as synonyms. However, according to Italian law, these two terms are not synonyms but rather indicate two different products. Not only that. The difference between jam and marmalade , in the context of Italian food and wine tradition, was felt until recently. In this article, we will see what the difference is between jam and marmalade, both in regulatory terms and in “traditional” terms.
Difference between jam and marmalade
Let’s start with the Italian law according to which there is a clear difference between jam and marmalade . This difference was introduced in 1982 by a Community directive.
According to the legislation, only products obtained from citrus fruits can be sold in the European Union under the name of “ marmalade ”, while all preparations with different fruits must be called “ preserve ”.
This means that the “spreadable preserve” obtained from orange, lemon, mandarin, grapefruit and other citrus fruits is called jam .
When, however, the “spreadable preserve” is obtained from peaches, apricots, strawberries and other fruit (other than citrus fruits) it is called jam . There is also a less pleasant aspect for the consumer: to be called jam, the product does not have to be made from 100% fruit. This means that in the “blueberry jam” you can find a low percentage of blueberry and mostly “apple puree”.
The percentage of fruit cannot be less than 35% (with significant differences depending on the fruit used). However, this percentage rises to 45% when talking about products labeled as “extra jam”.
This is the difference between jam and marmalade dictated by European directive n. 79/693 of 1979, implemented by Italian law in 1982 with Presidential Decree 8 June 1982, n. 401.
Let’s see the definitions of jam and marmalade according to this rule.
Jam: what is it?
Marmalade is a mixture of ingredients such as water, sugar and citrus fruits brought to a “gelatinous” and “spreadable” consistency by cooking .
Jam: what is it?
Jam is a mixture of sugars and the pulp of one or more types of fruit and water brought to an appropriate gelled consistency (gelatinous and spreadable).
Difference between jam and marmalade in Italian tradition
This culinary difference is no longer used, however we point it out for information purposes. Originally, in the Italian food and wine tradition, the term confettura indicated a preparation (mainly homemade) different from jam .
While jam was made from chopped, pitted and seeded fruit which was then cooked in syrup, marmalade was made from ground, chopped or minced fruit which was then boiled.
Conscious consumer
Jam and marmalade, traditionally are “home-made preserves”. These two terms, as specified in the introduction, are today used as synonyms.
According to the Italian legal system of 1982 (Presidential Decree 8 June 1982, n. 401), the distinction remains in force when you are on the supermarket shelves.
Try this experiment. Go to the “snack” section of your local supermarket. Take any package of fruit “croissants”. Reading the ingredients, you will notice that it says “jam of…” and certainly not “marmalade of…”.
To give a striking example, we cite the “wholemeal croissants with red fruits” by Mulino Bianco. Among the ingredients for the filling we report, verbatim: red fruit jam 24.6% (sugar, cherry, strawberry and raspberry puree 8.6%, glucose-fructose syrup, gelling agent: pectin, concentrated red fruit juices, acidity regulator: citric acid).
When you buy jam , you may find yourself faced with products that have different percentages of fruit. For this reason, we recommend that you always read the ingredients carefully so as to choose jams made from 100% fruit, without added sugars. Sugar-free jam uses the natural sugars of fruit such as grape juice.
