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,

, 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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Polvoron Andalusian cuisine Christmas food Christmas in Spain Cookies Latin American cuisine Mexican desserts Philippine desserts Shortbread