Marunchinos (Hebrew: מרוצ’ינוס), also known as Sephardi macaroons,[1] is a popular Israeli cookie of Sephardi Jewish origin made with ground blanched almonds or almond flour, egg whites, sugar or more traditionally honey, spices, and oftentimes dried fruit and orange blossom or rose water, that is traditionally made during Passover (Pesach), as it is one of the few desserts which is unleavened and does not contain chametz (wheat and similar grains).
According to historian David Gitlitz, during the Spanish Inquisition, crypto-Jews were accused of having bought marunchinos from the Jewish quarter in Barbastro, in Aragón.
In the aftermath the inquisition and subsequent exile of the Sephardi Jews to North Africa, Israel, the Middle East, Western Europe and the New World; the Sephardim brought with them their culinary traditions to their new homes and continued to bake them as part of their Passover celebrations.
When cane sugar was brought back to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East in the 1500s, it began to gradually supplant the traditional use of honey in most marunchinos recipes.
[2][10] Marunchinos are commonly baked at home and are also available from bakeries across Israel, as well as in the Jewish diaspora in countries such as at United Kingdom, and in cities such as Houston, Texas,[11] during the Passover season.