Barquillo

Barquillo is a crispy rolled wafer pastry originating in Spain. It is made from the basic cookie ingredients of flour, sugar, egg whites and butter rolled out thinly and then shaped into a hollow cylinder or a cone. It was traditionally sold by roadside vendors known as ''barquilleros'' who carried a characteristic red roulette tin (the ''ruleta de barquillero''). It was introduced to Latin America and the Philippines during colonial times. In Spain and former Spanish colonies, barquillos are commonly regarded as a type of Christmas cookie. It is also popular during various fiestas. It spread to neighboring countries and today is extremely popular in East and Southeast Asian countries.

Names

The Spanish name ''barquillo'' means "little boat". It is derived from the ancient tradition of heating the biscuits in convex or boat-shaped molds. Barquillos are also known by a variety of names. In English it is also known as biscuit roll, cookie roll, crispy biscuit roll, egg roll, crisp biscuit roll, or love letter. The Chinese name for this snack, "蛋卷", can be directly translated into English as "egg roll". However, the food item known in the West as egg roll is very different.

Description

Barquillos are thin wafers made from flour, sugar, egg whites and butter that is rolled into the shape of a long hollow tube or a cone. They can also be sold simply folded over twice in a fan shape.
In Spain, it was traditionally sold by roaming roadside vendors known as "barquilleros" (or "barquilleras") during festive events. In Madrid, barquilleros are particularly associated with the fiesta of San Isidro Labrador, where the vendors typically dress in ''castizo'' (''chulapo'') attire.

Barquilleros carry a characteristic red tin known as the ''ruleta de barquillero'' which has a roulette spinner at the top. Buying barquillos typically involve a small game, where the buyer pays to spin the roulette. Depending on where the ticker lands, the buyer can either have one or two barquillos for the same price. The buyer can also pay a slightly larger amount to continue spinning the roulette and getting barquillos until it lands on one of the four golden markers.

The tradition of barquilleros almost became extinct during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. Today, barquillos are most popular in Asia which has a larger population than Spain.

Barquillos are traditionally eaten plain. Modern versions, however, can flavor it with ingredients including vanilla, cinnamon, grated coconut, and lemon juice. Barquillos are also commonly dipped or coated in milk chocolate or have a chocolate center. Due to their similarity to ice cream cones, they are also commonly sold as containers for frozen treats.

Similar recipes to barquillos also exist in other countries in Europe, like the '' parizske pecivo'' of Czechoslovakia, the '' pirouettes'' of France, and ''krumkake'' of Norway. Flat versions are known as '' wafle'' in Poland, '' goro'' in Norway, and ''pizzelle'' in Italy, among others.

By region

Latin America

In Argentina and Chile, cylindrical barquillos filled with dulce de leche, chocolate, or other sweet fillings are known as '' cuchuflís'' (Chile) or ''cubanitos'' (Argentina).

Asia

Barquillos in the Philippines lack the grid-pattern of traditional Spanish barquillos. They are thinner and are usually rolled into elongated cylindrical shapes. Philippine barquillos are most strongly associated with the city of Iloilo, particularly to the Deocampo bakery, which has been commercially mass-producing barquillos since 1896.

A notable variant of barquillo is the Filipino ''barquiron'' (also spelled ''barqueron''), which are barquillos filled with polvorón and crushed peanuts, cashew nuts, or pili nuts. It originates from the city of Iloilo. Other variants of Philippine barquillos include those flavored with ube, pandan leaves, and carrots, which are bright purple, green, and orange in color, respectively.

In Hong Kong, biscuit rolls are made of wheat flour, butter, egg, sugar, and vanilla flavour.

Gallery

File:File-Ruleta de barquillero-Madrid (detalle).jpg, A ''ruleta de barquillero'' from Madrid
File:Flan con helado.jpg, ''Flan con helado'', a Spanish dessert with a barquillo
File:Cuchuflis y barquillos Artesanales. 04.JPG, Barquillos and cuchuflís from Chile
Image:Barquillos.jpg, Filipino barquillos
File:Filipino chocolate-filled barquillos 01.jpg, Filipino chocolate-filled barquillos
File:Syrup sponge pudding with custard at the White Hart Inn, Moreton, Essex, England.jpg, A syrup sponge pudding dessert with a biscuit roll from England
File:Love Letters (food).jpg, Hong Kong love letters are commonly sold in tin cans

See also

* Cucurucho
* Pirouline
* Pizzele
* Waffle
* Semprong
* Fortune cookie
* Kuih kapit

References

External links

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{{Cantonese cuisine

Hong Kong cuisine
Philippine pastries
Biscuits
Spanish cuisine
Vietnamese cuisine
Chilean cuisine
Argentine cuisine