The Christmas season has been officially inaugurated in San Pedro with events that took place in the town last week, officiated by the town hall there was a Christmas parade along the main streets and the Christmas light up of the grand ball and other festive decorations, which had a fantastic turn out.
So now in every supermarket or food store you will find a very wide range of confectionary, sweets, cakes, marzipans etc., which are traditionally consumed during this season all over Spain.
Below is a list of some of the most traditional sweets, as there are plenty to choose from:
- Turrones: Probably the most famous of all sweets made for the festive season. Turrón is basically made of pure honey, sugar, almonds and egg white. Although there are now dozens of varieties available from pistachio to truffle or coconut, the two most popular brands are still the hard and soft version – turrón duro o blando.
- Polvorones: Originating from the word polvo (powder or dust), this is another of the most sought out sweets. Similar to a shortbread but quite heavy in consistency and soft and crumbly at the same time, polvorones are made of flour, sugar, milk and nuts (mainly almonds), and usually have an oval shape whereas mantecados have a round shape to them.
- Mantecados: Similar to polvorones but without the almonds they can also be covered in cinnamon or cocoa, lemon flavoured or even coconut. Both sweets have been traditionally made with lard and date back to the 16th century, originating in the region of Andalucía in the village of Estepa, Seville. This town is well known for the majority of these sweet products, and is also a typical town to visit for Spanish families during the month of December (although they distribute across the country all year round).
- Mazapán (marzipan): Although in the city of Toledo this sweet is enjoyed throughout the year, marzipan is another symbol of Christmas gastronomy in Spain. It is believed to be of Arabic origin dating back to the 16th Made of almonds, sugar and egg, mazapán is typically made into creative shapes and figurines, making such beautiful decorations that you almost hesitate to eat them!
Watch this space, as we will soon be sharing some traditional Spanish recipes, in case you feel up to doing your own home made concoctions!