A polvorón (From , the
Spanish word for powder, or dust) is a type of heavy, soft, and very crumbly
Spanish shortbread made of
flour
Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...
,
sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
,
milk, and
nuts
Nut often refers to:
* Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds
* Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt
Nut or Nuts may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...
(especially almonds). They are mostly produced in
Andalusia, where there are about 70 factories that are part of a syndicate that produces polvorones and mantecados. Under the name ''mantecados'', these sweets are a traditional preparation of other areas of the
Iberian Peninsula as well.
Polvorones are popular holiday delicacies in all of
Spain,
Hispanic America and the
Philippines. Traditionally, they were prepared from September to January, but they are now available all year round.
Mantecado
Mantecado is a name for a variety of Spanish shortbreads that includes the ''polvorón''. Often both names are synonymous, but not all ''mantecados'' are ''polvorones''. The name ''mantecado'' comes from (
lard
Lard is a semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig.[Lard]
entry in the o ...
), usually the fat of Iberian pig ('), with which they are made, while the name ''polvorón'' is based on the fact that these cakes crumble easily into a kind of dust in the hand or the mouth.
In
Cuba and
Puerto Rico, ''mantecado'' is an
ice cream and in Spain it may be also the name given to a kind of sweet
sherbet. In the Philippines, ''mantecado'' is a popular traditional ice cream flavour, characterised as a mixture of vanilla and butter. It was served during the 29 September 1898 luncheon banquet that followed the
Malolos Congress' ratification of the
Philippine Declaration of Independence in June that year 1935.
Regional variations
Cuba
In
Cuba, it is one of the most common flavors of ice cream. Cuba, being the Latin American country in the Caribbean where Spain had the most interest and influence, has adapted the flavors of mantecado or polvorones from Spain into a delicious and beloved flavor for Cuban ice cream. Known worldwide for the delicious flavoring, what some might call a Latin vanilla, this Cuban flavor has influenced ice cream flavors made in other Latin American places such as Puerto Rico.
Philippines
The Filipino version of polvorón (sometimes spelled "polboron" or "pulburon") uses a large amount of
powdered milk which is left dry, as well as toasted flour,
sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
, and
butter or
margarine
Margarine (, also , ) is a spread used for flavoring, baking, and cooking. It is most often used as a substitute for butter. Although originally made from animal fats, most margarine consumed today is made from vegetable oil. The spread was orig ...
instead of lard. In contrast to other polvorón, it has a very fine powder-like and dry consistency. A number of local variants on the traditional ''polvorón'' recipe have been made. Well-known variants include ''polvorón'' with ''kasuy'' (
cashew nut
The cashew tree (''Anacardium occidentale'') is a tropical evergreen tree native to South America in the genus ''Anacardium'' that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple accessory fruit. The tree can grow as tall as , but the dwarf cult ...
), with ''
pinipig'' (pounded and toasted young green rice, similar to
crisped rice
Puffed rice and popped rice (or pop rice) are types of puffed grain made from rice commonly eaten in the traditional cuisines of Southeast Asia, East Asia, and South Asia. It has also been produced commercially in the West since 1904 and is popul ...
) and with ''
malunggay'' leaves. Strawberry, chocolate-coated, ''
ube'' (purple yam), peanut, and
cookies and cream
Cookies and cream (or cookies 'n cream) is a variety of ice cream, milkshake and other desserts that includes chocolate sandwich cookies, with the most popular version containing hand or pre-crumbled cookies from Nabisco's Oreo brand under a lice ...
flavoured ''polvorón'' also exist.
Spain
Polvorones are a common Christmas dessert in Spain. Today, there are other options for the fat used in the sweet other than pig fat, like butter, as well as vegetarian polvorones and mantecados made with
olive oil
Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...
.
United States
Sometimes called Pan de Polvo, the sweet is made with
anise
Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia.
The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and ta ...
in the south
Texas region.
See also
*
List of shortbread biscuits and cookies
*
Andalusian cuisine
*
Cuisine of Valladolid
The gastronomy of the province of Valladolid comprises the meals, their preparation, and the culinary habits of the province of Valladolid. It is based on barbecued and roast food, especially roasted Spanish cuisine. Wines of high qualit ...
*
Spanish cuisine
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polvoron
Andalusian cuisine
Christmas food
Christmas in Spain
Cookies
Latin American cuisine
Mexican desserts
Philippine desserts
Shortbread