Some international pastry trends have been making their mark in Madrid for some time now: the New York Rolls made a splash on social networks in 2022, the Japanese pastry is gaining followers and, more recently, cruasans seem to have become a boundless field of experimentation that has ceased to be an exclusive Parisian heritage. But many times you don’t have to go that far to find them and the Bercianitas -time will tell- could be an example of this.
But what are the Bercianitas? They are a typical artisan sweet from Méntrida, a village in Toledo less than 1 hour from the center of the capital that, in its origin, had another name -what they are in essence-: rosquillas bañás.
Seeing that there was a risk that this traditional recipe would be lost, a group of three friends – Jorge Méndez, Álvaro Venegas and Marcos Zalazar – got together with the aim of “keeping alive the tradition of our town” and “bringing a traditional sweet to today’s public”, Zalazar explains to Madrid Secreto.
Why “Bercianitas”
?
The name with which they have decided to rename this sweet to give it a modern twist has been Bercianitas. And the reason has to go to look for it to the feast of San Marcos, a date marked in red in the calendar of the mentridanos and mentridanas: the donuts are made and consumed for the feast of this saint in the field of Berciana.
“It’s a fusion between donut-doughnut, so that you understand the texture, since there is nothing similar,” continues Zalazar. “And it is a handmade product, which connects with our roots.”
As for the recipe, without revealing it completely, they tell us that the ingredients of the Bercianitas are: flour, eggs, lemon, anise, butter and a sugar glaze.
That would respond to the original recipe of the bañá, but to bring it to the present this trio has launched to develop other flavors: chocolate, white chocolate and pistachio. And for lovers of chocolate, they also make it with chocolate dough, to which chocolate and white chocolate topping can be added.
As we pointed out in the subtitle, their claim goes beyond the borders of Méntrida and from their bakery – “We have it there because Bercianitas is a local product and we want to maintain that connection with our roots”-they offer national shipments in 48h and in 24h in the case of Madrid.
In addition, from the beginning of October, it will also be possible to order them at home (only for the interior of the M-30).
By their origin and nature, then, the Bercianitas have more in common with the rosquilla de San Isidro than with the latest sweet that is being talked about in social networks, but who knows if virality may end up being the ingredient that ends up anchoring them to the XXI century.
Prices
The flavors can be combined to taste in the different boxes available:
- Small box (6 units): €9,90
- Medium box (12 units): 18,90€
- Large box (20 units): €29.90
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