Dried fruits on Three Kings' Day, a tradition

Nuts are one of the most common foods in our diet and, historically, have always been present at a multitude of events and in many countries. So much so that on one of the most special nights celebrated around the world, nuts also have a place on Three Kings' Day.

Dried fruits on Three Kings' Day

The tradition of Three Kings' Day and its typical dessert, the Roscón de Reyes, dates back to Roman times. The Saturnalia ( Saturnalia in Latin) were important Roman festivities where In honor of Saturn , god of agriculture, a sacrifice was held in the Temple, in the Roman Forum, and a public banquet was held followed by the exchange of gifts during festivities that could last from 3 to 7 days.

They were celebrated from December 17 to 23, by candlelight and torches, for the end of the darkest period of the year and the birth of the new period of light , or birth of the Sun, on December 25, coinciding with the winter solstice. It is possible that this festival was also a celebration because the work in the fields was coming to an end And after the sowing was finished, the peasants and slaves had time to rest from their daily efforts.

Later, the birth of the Sun and its new period of light were replaced by the Church, who He made the birth of Jesus of Nazareth coincide with those dates with the aim of putting an end to the old celebrations. Gradually Pagan customs passed into New Year's Day , eventually being assimilated into the Christian holiday now universally known as Christmas Day.

The Roscón de Reyes in the celebration

The Roscón de Reyes, or King's Cake, is a cake made with a circular sweet dough decorated with slices of candied or frosted fruit of various colors. simulating a king's crown . Over the centuries it has changed and expanding the variety of roscón and fillings , from the most common, which are with cream or custard, to the most creative, which can be filled with chocolate, truffle, puff pastry or in the form of pudding.

In Roman times Dried fruits were present on the day of kings , since in his recipe he had present, apart from figs, dates and honey, almonds or finely chopped walnuts. Tradition dictated that the inside of the sweet was placed a dried bean and the lucky one who found it was named king of kings for a short period of time (established in advance).

Dried fruit on Three Kings' Day is also seen as a tradition in France. There, the king's cake is known as the galette des rois. or Couronne des Rois , which is made with puff pastry and can be filled with a cream made from ground almonds, sugar, a little butter, and egg yolk. In Portugal it is called Bolo Rei and in its preparation it is distinguished because the dough contains raisins and assorted nuts (pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, etc.) and port wine that distinguishes it from the traditional flavor of the king's cake.

It's clear that the Roscón de Reyes and the use of nuts on Three Kings' Day are some of the most deeply rooted traditions in the world. It's also a perfect holiday to try traditional pastries with a multitude of modern variations, and an ideal occasion to share with the family.

We are located on Bravo Murillo and in Callao Square.

At Nutnut, we treat nuts as a flavor proposition enhanced by traditional roasting and baking that we do every day. Remember that we are located at Bravo Murillo Street, 10 (near the Quevedo metro station) and also in the El Corte Inglés Gourmet Club On the 9th floor of Plaza de Callao. We are the first gourmet dried fruit shop in Madrid , handcrafted following our Lebanese roots and combining the experience of over 20 years. Our specialty is traditional dried fruit baking , as well as a carefully selected selection of dried fruits and Lebanese sweets that will transport you to the flavors and aromas of our origins.