Ensaïmada facts for kids
Ensaimadas
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| Alternative names | Ensaimada |
|---|---|
| Course | Pastry |
| Place of origin | Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain |
| Serving temperature | Cold |
| Main ingredients | Flour, water, eggs, mother dough, saïm (reduced pork lard) |
The ensaimada is a super yummy swirly pastry from Mallorca, a beautiful island in Spain. People love to eat it in places like Southwestern Europe, Latin America, and the Philippines. We know people were making ensaimada way back in the 1600s! Even though most flour was used for bread then, this special pastry was made for parties and big celebrations.
Contents
What is Ensaimada Made Of?
The traditional ensaïmada de Mallorca is made with a few simple ingredients. These include strong flour, water, sugar, and eggs. It also uses something called mother dough, which is a bit like a special starter that helps the pastry rise.
A very important ingredient is a type of reduced pork lard called saïm. This word comes from an old Arabic word meaning 'fat'. The saïm gives the ensaimada its special taste and texture.
In Mallorca and Ibiza, there's a sweet treat called greixonera. It's made by using leftover ensaimada pieces from the day before. This helps make sure no delicious pastry goes to waste!
Different Kinds of Ensaimada
Ensaimada comes in many tasty versions. Here are some of the most common ones you might find:
Ensaimada in the Balearic Islands
- Llisa: This means 'plain'. It's an ensaimada with no extra fillings, just the classic swirly pastry.
- Cabell d'àngel: This means 'angel's hair'. It's filled with sweet, stringy orange strands. These strands come from a type of pumpkin cooked with sugar.
- Tallades: This means 'sliced'. This ensaimada is covered with a special sausage called sobrassada and pumpkin. It has a mix of sweet and savory flavors. People often eat it during Carnival, just before Lent.
- Crema: This means 'cream'. It's filled with a delicious cream made from eggs.
- You can also find ensaimadas filled with sweet cream, chocolate, or a special candy paste called turrón.
- Some ensaimadas are covered with sweet apricot pieces.
Ensaimada in the Philippines
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The Philippines was a Spanish colony for a long time. Because of this, they also have their own version of ensaimada, usually spelled ensaymada. Over many years, the Philippine ensaymada has changed a bit. It's now one of the most popular treats there!
The Philippine ensaymada is a type of brioche bread. It's baked with butter instead of lard. After baking, it's often topped with grated cheese and sugar. You can find it in almost every bakery. Other versions might have buttercream, slices of salted egg, or a special aged cheese called queso de bola. The ensaymada from Pampanga, a region in the Philippines, is known for being very rich with lots of butter and cheese layers.
During the Christmas season in the Philippines, it's common to eat ensaymada with hot chocolate. This hot chocolate is made from special native chocolate tablets called tablea.
Many popular bakeries in the Philippines, like Goldilocks, Red Ribbon, Julie's, and Kamuning Bakery, make their own special ensaymada recipes.
Ensaimada in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico was also a Spanish colony until 1898. There, the ensaimada is called pan de mallorca, which means 'Mallorcan bread'. People traditionally eat it for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.
See also
In Spanish: Ensaimada de Mallorca para niños
