A “torrijas” route through Spain, a very sweet adventure

Going on a “torrijas” route during the Holy Week is a great way of combining gastronomy and tourism. If you like this dessert, keep on reading to discover where you can find the best “torrijas” in Spain.

The “torrijas”, that delicacy

They are one of the oldest confections in Europe, so old that Marco Gavio Apicio already wrote about them in the first century. Throughout the 15th century it spread across the continent under different names such as “pain perdu” (lost bread) in France or “payn purdyeu” in the United Kingdom; Juan del Encina wrote about the “torrejas” and the amount of egg and honey needed to prepare them. In the 17th century it became a recurring recipe in all kinds of gastronomic treatises. In the twentieth century they were served in Madrid with a glass of wine.

If this delicacy is so old, how did “torrijas” become associated with the Holy Week? Bakers did not work after Wednesday during this week, so people preferred to put the bread in milk and fry it to eat something with substance, as simple as that.

The “torrijas” route 

If you are thinking of “Torrijas” all year, go on a “torrijas” route during the Holy Week. We start in Madrid, one of the cities in which this confection is more successful, and where most of the locals prefer its more classic version. In pastry shops such as Mifer, Cármine or Manacor you can buy some and eat them wherever you want. Want to eat some?, nothing better than going to “Café de la Ópera” or the famous Casa de las Torrijas. To try other flavors, visit Nunos and choose from its wide assortment.

Leaving Madrid by car you can go to Toledo, buy the best “torrijas” at Santo Tomé confectionery, and eat them before arriving at your next destination: Cuenca. Visit the Ruiz confectionery, they use the traditional recipe.

Now, if you like the south, start with Seville, where “torrijas” from La Campana taste great, buy groceries and continue driving to Malaga, in La Canasta you can order them with different fillings. Do you prefer to visit the Mediterranean coast? In Murcia - the exquisite torrijas of “Pastelería Espinosa“ will give you the energy you need to keep on driving.

Other Holy Week delicacies

Although “torrijas” are one of our favorite Holy Week delicacies, we cannot forget some of the most traditional Spanish Holy Week treats and foods, try to taste them all! Here are some that you cannot miss in your Holy Week gastronomic route in Spain:

• Your grandmother’s “roscos”: Surely your grandmother always prepared “roscos” with sugar and cinnamon whose flavor is fixed in your mind. Do not despair, look for them in any pastry shop in the cities above and you will find them soon.

• Fried milk: It is not always easy to find it in a pastry shop, but while on the road you may find a restaurant that has it for dessert. As classic as it is delicious.

• “Pestiños”: Instead of honey, as usual in Christmas, they are coated with sugar and cinnamon. A touch of anise is the secret ingredient.

• Fritters:  They can be sweet and also salty (with cod). Perfect for any occasion.

• “Mona de Pascua”: They are always eaten on the Monday after Easter Sunday. A perfect way to test the creativity of the confectioner and renew your love for chocolate.

• Chickpeas with cod or prawns:  It is one of the most consumed waking stews in Andalusia. The mixture of flavors is superb.

• Pavías de bacalao:  Another classic that still works wonders. If cooked the right way, they are exquisite.

How about combining Holy Week and “torrijas” on your next route through Spain? Why not rent a car and go on a route to taste these delicacies? Make the most of your holidays like never before.