marzipan

Marzipan came into English from German Marzipan, which came from Italian (Venetan) marzapane. That word is believed to derive from Arabic marṭabān, meaning 'spice box,' itself named after Martaban, a Burmese port famous for exporting spices — with the Italian pane, 'bread,' shaping the word's final form along the way.

The word seems to have traveled from a distant port city's name, through the idea of a spice container, before settling into Italian and German as a term for the almond confection we know today.

Its shape was likely influenced by Italian pane, meaning 'bread,' though marzipan itself isn't bread-related at all.