Traditional Spanish Holiday Treats

With so many to choose from and Christmas on its way, we’re baffled as to why Spanish holiday foods remain such a mystery in America – especially compared to those other European exports, the French Bûche de Noël, the German Stollen, and the Italian Panettone.

Here’s just a small selection of what we’re missing…

Turrón

A rich nougat made with honey and roasted almonds, turrón varies between a handful of designated regions.

Around the Valencian town of Jijona, turrón blando has a soft consistency like peanut butter, while in nearby Alicante, turrón duro packs in more of the region’s sweet Marcona almonds for a denser, brittle crunch. A third variety from Agramunt (near Lleida) adds locally sourced hazelnuts to the mix, which, for many, gives it a more familiar Christmas flavor.

Polvorón

This crumbly Spanish sweet is a kind of shortbread (mantecado) made with almonds, sesame seeds and cinnamon. Baked to perfection each holiday season, the best polvorónes are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle

The original recipe is thought to have come from Estepa, Seville, where street names like Calle Almendra (Almond Street) and Avenida de la Canela (Cinammon Avenue) proudly display their heritage. Regional variations from Gilena, Antequera, Rute, Portillo, Sierra Constantina and elsewhere, have all experimented with different ingredients and cooking methods, using chocolate, coconut and lemon zest for flavoring.

Roscón de Reyes

The “kings’ ring” may be a little better known, but its real charm lies in the traditions that go with it. Baked for Epiphany on 6 January (Día de Reyes, or ‘kings’ day’ in Spain), this sweet bread with fruits and nuts is made to resemble a bejwelled royal crown.

Before cooking, though, a little figurine (usually a king or the baby Jesus) is hidden in the dough, along with a single dried fava bean. Find the figure and you’ll be crowned ‘king (or queen) of the feast’, but bite down on the bean and you’ll be shelling out for next year’s roscón!

Oh the holiday memories José has from his childhood with these delicious treats as part of every holiday meal. To this day from December until the end of January we enjoy a piece turrón after every meal.