marzipan [M16th] The sugary paste used on cakes has taken an exotic journey starting at the port of Martaban on the coast of southeast Burma (Myanmar), once famous for the glazed jars it exported, containing preserves and sweets. In the course of a long trek through Persian and Arabic into European languages, the name Martaban transmuted into Italian marzapane, with a shift of meaning from the container to its contents. From the 16th to the 19th centuries the usual form in English was marchpane. It was not until the 19th century, when English reborrowed the Italian word, that marzipan became established.