Here you have 5 Spanish desserts you need to know and try at least once in your life.
Spain is not only famous for its salad dishes (as paella, tapas, sliced.meat), its desserts are equally delicious! Every region has different desserts, we tried to show you the most typical and popular ones to give you an overall idea of what you can find in this amazing culinary country.
Chocolate con churros
This is the most popular dessert all over Spain. Its origins trace back to the 19th century, when the churros were the popular breakfast in Madrid because of their easy availability and cheap price. Nowadays you can find it everywhere with different versions, the most common one is with porras (a fried pastry very similar to churros). This is usually a typical breakfast during winter. Locals dip the salty churros into the hot chocolate, creating the perfect mix between hot sweet and soft salty taste. Chocolate con churros are generally found with a small pot of powdered sugar and a glass of water to satisfy the thirst caused by the churros.
To try the best Chocolate con churros in Valencia we suggest you to go to Horchateria Santa Catalina.
Ensaimada
Ensaimadas are a typical dessert from Mallorca. They are small round yeast-based cakes. The name comes from one of its ingredients, the pork land that in catalan is translated into saïm. Other ingredients include water, flour, dough, sugar and eggs and once it’s ready some powered sugar is poured on it. Spanish people usually prefer to buy it rather than bake it, because it needs long time for leavening.
Crema Catalana
This delicious dessert is similar to the French Crème brulèe. It’s a typical dessert of the Catalan region and it’s the oldest dessert in Europe as it was already well-known in the 14th century. The crema catalana consists of yolk, sugar, lemon flavored milk , cornmeal and wheat flour. Locals usually eat it during the day of San Jose on the 19 of March. However, you can find it all year long and you can use it to fill ensaimadas, tartas, pancakes. You can also find it as a topping, in that case the crema catalana is burnt and then added to powdered sugar.
Horchata de Chufa
La horchata is a typical Valencian beverage. This refreshing drink is made with sugar, water and tiger nut and Valencian generally have it with fartons for breakfast or break during the day. A part from being tasty, the horchata is also an healthy drink as it contains vitamin C and E, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and iron. For this reason la horchata is ideal for people with high cholesterol, with hypertension and anemic.
The best place to have this energetic drink is Horchatería Daniel
Tarta de Santiago
The tarta de Santiago is an almond pie and it originates in Galicia. Among the main ingredients there’s eggs, sugar, ground almonds and lemon zest. The alcoholic version has also sweet wine or brandy. Its special feature is the powdered sugar on the top with the image of the Santiago’s cross, added on the old version already in 1924. The purpose was to give it a typical sign of the city and to attract customers from other regions.
What’s your favourite?
