Some days ago, I listened a radio program, in which a collaborator took some doughnuts, typical from Galicia, in northwestern Spain, called "Melindres", as a present for his colleagues. Then I remembered this expression, that I heard, in my home, several times, when I was a child: "Being melindre" (a person). Then, immediately, I searched the meaning of Melindre and its relationship with doughnuts from Galicia; but I did not find any result, on the relationship between the two.
According to the Spanish dictionary, the word “Melindre” has two definitions; first: Fritter honey; and second: Delicacy affected. Therefore, I thought that maybe that small cake is named so, because it is a "delicacy", in pastry-making.
But, the origin of this word, in Latin, was Mellitulus, which is the diminutive of “Mellitus”, which means "sweet as honey".
And it has three definitions; first: Fruit of pan, made with honey and flour; second: Sweet of marzipan paste, covered with white sugar; and third: Delicacy affected in words, gestures and actions.
Now, I want to show you a version of the recipe, just in case you want to try to cook it. The Ingredients, that you need, are: 200 grams of cake flour. 20 grams of butter. 20 millilitres of anisette (optional). 4 egg yolks. For glaze: 200 grams of sugar and 100 millilitres of water.
Each village has its own recipe. And this one, which I am going to show you, is from the town of Melide.
Two views of Melide (A Coruña. North eastern Galici)
To prepare these ingredients, you have to do the following: In a bowl, mix the melted butter, the egg yolks and the anisette. You incorporate the flour, gradually, and you get to integrating it, with the other ingredients.
Pour out the dough, onto a work surface, and knead for 10 minutes, until the dough does not stick to the hands or the worktop.
Let the dough to rest for one hour, and you begin to form the melindres. With small portions of dough, you have to form some thin cylinders, which you have to roll up on themselves, to form hoops.
Put the Melindres, on a baking dish, and preheat the oven to 220 ° C, bake for 10 minutes. Move the Melindres away from the oven and let them cool on an oven rack, until completely cool, before proceeding to cover it with the glazed.
When they are cold, you have two options, or sprinkle with powdered sugar or with regular white sugar; anyway, put sugar on a plate and cover the melindres into sugar to adhere; and from here to a platter.
In the village of Melide (La Coruña. Northern Galicia), they do as following, with the glazed: they put a small saucepan on fire and add the sugar and water. Then, they let the syrup cook for 5 minutes, let reduce and turn off the burner.
Pass all the melindres on the syrup. Put all the cold melindres, in a bowl, and irrigate with the syrup. With a fork, stir the melindres, in the syrup, so that they are all well impregnated and placed, on a rack. Expect the dry syrup, before eating.
It is important to be agile, in the time when you irrigate the melindres, with syrup, because, in a few seconds, the syrup shall be solidified and you have to get all the melindres covered.
And the result must be like this one:
Melindres from Melide
Each year, the second Sunday, in May, from 25 years ago, in Melide, is celebrated “the Feast of melindre and traditional pastries Terra de Melide”. In this party, it is valued the typical local pastries, in the shape of three of its flagship products, trying to honor the traditional ways of work of local pastries, the melindre, the rich and the almond.
Next May 7 and 8 –2017, you may go to Melide, to enjoy this party. In addition, you can enjoy the acts ludic-festive. And this is a Tourist Interest Party, in Galicia.
But, in Galicia, there are another villages, where you can enjoy their famous melindres. One of those villages is Ponteareas (Pontevedra. Southern Galicia).There, they add a little bit of grain of almond to the melindres.
A view of Ponteareas
Melindres from Ponteareas
Another village is Silleda (Pontevedra).
A view of Silleda.
Every Sunday of Easter, from 25 years ago, Silleda cellabrates the named “Festa da Rosquilla”, in which you can enjoy doughnuts and Melindres. These are emblematic products, since 100 years ago. The Melindres were already known in the Nineteenth Century --In 1880 and 1909, they celebrated competitions and exhibitions, with this sweet--.
In Silleda, they add anisette or honey to the melindres.
Melindres from Silleda
And the other village, that I recommend you to visit and enjoy the melindres, is Allariz.
A view of Allariz (Orense. South of Pontevedra)
In Allariz you can use milled almond, or mixed with flour, instead of wheat flour, and they can be covered with chocolate.
And these are Melindres from Allariz:
Well, I hope that you have liked this post and hope that you can go to Galicia soon.
Until my next post, kind regards,
Luis.
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