If you have already been to Salamanca, city from the Western part of Spain, you have no doubt heard about the famous hornazo, one of the most typical recipe from the region of Castilla y León!
Composed of jamón serrano (serrano ham), lomo (cured pork tenderloin), chorizo (Spanish pork sausage) and hard-boiled eggs, this puff pastry is very rich and generous. Its name comes from the word “horno” which means “oven” in Spanish and can be considered as a very traditional Spanish food since all of the ingredients and especially the meats are originally from Spain.
Eating an hornazo is one of the best ways to immerge yourself in the Spanish culinary culture! Moreover, you can find it in all the corners of the city, in restaurants or pastries, next to many different types of empanadas. It is usually prepared in various portions and sizes and you are free to eat it for lunch, dinner or … even breakfast if you feel for it! You can eat it cold or warm, both ways are delicious! The quality of this dish depends on how you fill it and how good the meat is.
Hornazo is definetely a must if you visit the Castilla y León region but where does it come from? The origins are quite surprising!
The origins of this Spanish dish dates back from the 16th century when the young King Felipe II was ruling over the country. Known for being very pious and conservative, he got shocked by the morals and habits of the inhabitants of Salamanca when he came to the city. Indeed, he prohibited prostitution and moved all of the prostitutes outside of the city during all of his stay in the capital of the province. Finally, the Monday right after Easter, the “Lunes de Aguas” (Monday of Water) in Spanish, he left and all of the restrictions were lifted. All the inhabitants organised a celebration and gathered all together in the city to have a feast and eat the famous hornazo.
Today, the Monday after Easter is still celebrated in Salamanca and it’s even a public holiday on the working calendar. Families and friends gather and prepare this Spanish dish, to enjoy all together. The hornazo can be then considered as a symbol of celebrations after the restrictions of the Semana Santa (Holy Week).
If you want to cook it at home, it is quite easy. You just need some good meat of serrano ham, cured pork tenderloin and Spanish pork sausage as mentioned before as well as two eggs, butter, flour, fresh bakery and of course, a good oven!
Do not miss any opportunity to try it, you will not regret it for sure!
References:
Hornazo de Salamanca | Spanish in Spain – Tía Tula Spanish School in Salamanca, Spain. 2022. Hornazo de Salamanca | Spanish in Spain – Tía Tula Spanish School in Salamanca, Spain. [ONLINE] Available at: https://spanishinspain.blogspot.com/2014/08/hornazo-de-salamanca.html. [Accessed 15 July 2022].
Ruchik Randhap. 2022. Hornazo De Salamanca ~ Spanish Easter Bread Stuffed with Sausages & Eggs #Breadbakers – Ruchik Randhap. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.ruchikrandhap.com/hornazo-de-salamanca-spanish-easter/. [Accessed 15 July 2022].
Tara Shain. 2022. Traditional Semana Santa Recipe: Hornazo de Salamanca – (barcelona-metropolitan.com). [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/eating-and-drinking/recipes/traditional-semana-santa-recipe-hornazo-de-salamanca/. [Accessed 15 July 2022].
Written by Cécile Mayeres
She holds a Master’s degree in Translation and Cross-Cultural Communication with a specialization in European mobility. She now does a traineeship in Communication at the Terminology Coordination Unit.