Cabello de ángel ( ''cabello de ángel''; literally "angel's hair") is a transparent threaded
jam
Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread.
There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the meth ...
made from Siam pumpkin (''
Cucurbita ficifolia
''Cucurbita ficifolia'' is a species of squash, grown for its edible seeds, fruit, and greens. It has common names including black seed squash, chilacayote, cidra, fig-leaf gourd, and Malabar gourd. Compared to other domesticated species in it ...
'') pulp and white
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
Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...
. It originated in
Mallorca
Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...
but its use has spread to the rest of
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and some countries in the
Americas
The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
.
Uses
Cabello de ángel can be used simply as a pumpkin jam spread on slices of bread, but it is mainly used to stuff pastries, as
ensaïmades,
pastisset
Pastissets (), also called casquetes, pastelicos, dulces de alma or flaons are stuffed fried pastries from Catalan cuisine, Valencian cuisine and Aragonese cuisine. They can be filled with cabell d'àngel jam, sweet potato jam, or almonds, even w ...
s and
coques.
Preparation
The pumpkin is boiled in water until it falls apart into fibres. This pulp is cooked in sugar syrup with slow and frequent stirring. In Mallorca, it is baked instead of being boiled, intensifying the flavour. The jam can be seasoned with cinnamon or citrus zest. It is best when prepared in the spring, once the pumpkins have fully matured.
See also
* ''
Cucurbita ficifolia
''Cucurbita ficifolia'' is a species of squash, grown for its edible seeds, fruit, and greens. It has common names including black seed squash, chilacayote, cidra, fig-leaf gourd, and Malabar gourd. Compared to other domesticated species in it ...
''
*
Doce de gila
*
List of spreads
This is a list of spreads. A Spread (food), spread is a food that is literally spread, generally with a knife, onto food items such as bread or Cracker (food), crackers. Spreads are added to food to enhance the flavour or texture of the food, whic ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cabello de ángel
Catalan cuisine
Valencian cuisine
Balearic cuisine
Spreads (food)
Squash and pumpkin dishes