Foods to Eat in Spain - Madrid & Castilla y León

- Huesos de Santo - 

Huesos de Santo, translated as 'bones of the saint' is probably not what you imagine from the name alone, instead, it is a delicious sweet dessert that is thought to have originated from Madrid in the early 17th century. Nowadays, it is still most popular in Madrid and the surrounding region of Castilla y León. It is most commonly eaten in November for All Saints Day. While you may wonder as to the cause for this, there is no intriguing reason or interesting anecdote, they were eaten simply because almonds were harvested around this time, so marzipan was both cheap and readily available.

Huesos de Santo is made of 2 layers, the outer layer is made of white marzipan paste pressed into a hollow cylindrical shape which is then filled with a syrup made from egg yolk, sugar and lemon juice (as well as yellow food colouring). This together gives it some resemblance to bones, hence, the name.

Foods to Eat in Spain - Castille y León (Segovia) & Madrid

- El Cochinillo Asado -

El Cochinillo Asado, or roast suckling pig, is dish originally from Segovia, in Castille but is now popular in the neighbouring regions of Aragon and Madrid also. This dish was introduced to Spanish cuisine when the Roman's invaded and conquered vast swathes of Spain, however, it only really became popular in the 17th Century as it was no longer a dish reserved for the rich and royal.

El Cochinillo Asado is prepared by placing the suckling pig in an earthenware dish and is often decorated (with a apple placed in its mouth for example) before roasting it whole in a wood (often oak) burning oven. When I first saw this dish, it somewhat humorously reminded me of the feasts drawn in Asterix and Obelix (though that is set in modern day France, and not Spain).