What is ‘la torrija’? It’s a sweet treat traditionally consumed during Semana Santa.

SEMANA Santa has taken over Spain this week and you may be seeing ‘torrijas’ everywhere, but what are these sweet treats? 

This Spanish take on ‘eggy bread’ soaks stale bread in milk or wine before dosing it in sugar and cinnamon and dipping it in honey. 

The first time it was made in Roman cuisine dates back to the 4th and 5th centuries. However, this version used only milk instead of the eggy layer. 

READ MORE : Why do Semana Santa hats from Spain have a conical shape and are they connected to the KKK

This became a very popular Easter treat using the leftover bread during Lent when meat was prohibited. 

Torrijas are a popular sweet in Spain today. A competition is held each year in Madrid to celebrate the popularity of this treat. 

It is popular in some parts of the country including Menorca.

Torrijas can be found in most bakeries or as special bread slices. 

Read more: Semana Santa, Semana Santa Spain: six Easter dishes you must try

If you are feeling under the weather or want a sweet treat, we have a recipe for torrijas. 

Ingredients:

250 mls milk
Lemon zest
¼ bar of French bread, in thick slices
In a shallow bowl, place 1 lightly beaten egg
Quality olive oil
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup water
Honey, 1 Tablespoon
Kitchen towels

Preparation:

Pour the milk, half the sugar and the lemon zest into a saucepan and heat it gently over medium-low heat. 

As soon as the milk reaches a boiling point, turn off the heat and let it cool down for a couple of minutes.

Do not allow the bread to break apart. Instead, soak the thick pieces of bread in a mixture of milk and water. 

Let them rest for a moment to absorb the moisture.

Dip both sides of each bread slice in the beaten egg.

Then fry them. 

Heat up a shallow fryingpan and cover the bottom with olive oil. Add the bread slices, and cook on each side to crispiness.

Place the bread slices onto a kitchen towel and allow them to absorb the excess oil.

Mix the remaining sugar (1/8 cup) with the cinnamon and sprinkle liberally over the slices then use the remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture to make a syrup mixing it with ½ cup of water, the honey and heat lightly in a saucepan.

Let simmer until it thickens up into a runny syrup – usually about 20 minutes – then pour over the slices of bread, refrigerate for at least an hour.

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