Marañuela facts for kids
| Course | Sweet or dessert |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Flour, clarified butter, eggs, sugar lemon zest |
Marañuela is a yummy traditional sweet from Asturias, a region in northern Spain. It's made with simple ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, special butter called clarified butter, and fresh lemon zest.
Contents
Where Do Marañuelas Come From?
The exact beginning of marañuelas is a bit of a mystery. However, the most popular story connects them to sailors and the sea. Long ago, during Holy Week, fishing boats would return to port. They would stock up on marañuelas before heading out to sea again. This is why people traditionally make them around Easter time even today.
Marañuelas are especially famous in the coastal towns of Candás and Luanco. Even though these towns are close, they make their marañuelas a little differently! While you can enjoy them all year, they are usually made on Resurrection Sunday. Families often share them, especially between godparents and their godchildren.
What Makes Marañuelas Special?
Because of their connection to the sea, marañuelas were often shaped like a sailor's knot. This tradition is still very popular today.
Marañuelas can also come in other fun shapes:
- The "marañuela biscuit" is made in a spiral shape.
- The "marañuela bun" is shaped by intertwining the dough.
- Sometimes, they are made in a four-cornered star shape. This one is sometimes called a "horned bun." People often eat it for breakfast in thin slices. Kids usually love to start by eating the four crunchy corners!
On Resurrection Sunday, godparents traditionally give marañuelas back to their godchildren. This is a thank-you gift for the palm branches the godchildren gave them on Palm Sunday. It's also common to give this sweet treat with a natural bird feather. In some areas, people even include a small ceramic pitcher filled with homemade spiced wine.
Other Kinds of Marañuelas
There is another type of marañuela called the marañuela de Avilés. This one is more like a sweet bread.
Even though they share the same name, the marañuela from Avilés is quite different from the ones made in Luanco and Candás. They look different and use different ingredients. The Avilés marañuela looks like a small bread roll, while the Luanco and Candás marañuelas are more like a cookie.
See also
In Spanish: Marañuela para niños
