I Want This: Ensaimadas
[Stephen Shull from The Eaten Path]
Imagine a croissant, but made with pork fat instead of butter and topped with something sweet like powdered sugar, custard, or apricots. Apparently that's what an ensaïmade is like, a common pastry found in the Spanish island of Majorca. Stephen Shull fondly describes the pastry on The Eaten Path, specifically the one from Can Joan de s’Aigo, the oldest operating café and pastry shop in Palma. That's going on my list of "Pastries to Eat Before I Die."
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8 Comments:
now why can't starbucks serve these for breakfast? it's not like they don't have the labor force..... i know it's a little more complicated than a soy-mocha-latte .... but wouldn't you just love seeing these in those european-wanna-be pastry cases?
pooch at 7:38PM on 08/21/09
They have this in the Philippines as well. just a little different.
From Wikipedia:
In the Philippines, a Spanish colony for nearly 400 years, the Majorcan ensaïmada (commonly spelled ensaymada in Tagalog) has evolved over the centuries. There, the ensaymada is a brioche made with butter instead of lard, and topped with grated cheese (usually aged Edam, known locally as "queso de bola") and sugar. Upscale versions of ensaymada are also topped with butter cream. It is extremely popular throughout the islands, especially during the Christmas season, when it is often, although not always, eaten with hot chocolate.
droostring at 10:45PM on 08/21/09
Majorca? Watch out for my drunken fellow countrymen.
NotAmerican at 11:14PM on 08/21/09
Mmm, lardy croissant...must visit Majorca.
lyricanjl at 11:41PM on 08/22/09
You can find ensaimadas all over Spain. Strangely, the best one I had was in the bus station in Madrid waiting for the early morning bus to Segovia. Spain had some of the best bus station food I've ever seen.
AppleSister at 11:58AM on 08/23/09
ew, ensaimadas. seriously overrated, beleive me. nothing like a croissant, at all. they´re dry and your only chance of finding a mildly good one is to eat it very very fresh, in Mallorca.
lobstersquad at 2:56AM on 08/24/09
Although it may be difficult to find Mallorcan ensaimada in NYC (if not impossible), you can find Filipino ensaimada at the better Filipino bakeries in Queens. Krystal's may be your best bet.
JungMan at 10:54AM on 08/25/09
The best ones in Mallorca are dusted with powdered sugar and filled with cabell d'angel (angel's hair), a sweet jammy like confection made from pumpkin. Delicious!
sulin at 5:16PM on 08/30/09