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The final destination in our Christmas Around the World series is Spain and there's one traditional festive food in particular that we are going to shine the spotlight on – Roscón de Reyes.
While not eaten on Christmas Day itself, there is a Spanish holiday bread known as the Roscón de Reyes, which is typically consumed on the Day of the Epiphany - January 6th. Topped with brightly coloured candied fruits and crushed almond pieces, the baker will often hide a small plastic figurine inside the dough, which is considered good luck once found. In some communities, along with the good-luck figurine, a dry bean will be hidden inside the cake and the person who finds it will be expected to pay for the sweet treat! Usually, you'll see this dessert cut through the middle horizontally and filled with cream.
Cava is also a popular drink over the holidays in Spain - the Spanish version of French Champagne. This sparkling wine either comes white or as a rosé and for the drink to be called cava, it must be produced using the traditional method. Also, 95% of all cava is produced in the Catalonia area of Penedès.
Another interesting holiday tradition in Spain is the eating of grapes, specifically 12 of them and specifically as the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve! This supposedly brings good luck to anyone who can manage it and while it might seem like an easy task, it's surprisingly difficult as there's not much time between each chime of the clock! Why not give it a try on December 31st?
