8 Curiosities about the Roscón de Reyes that you do not know

It is a pity that we have to wait until Christmas to enjoy one of the tastiest cakes we have in our recipe book.

But, in addition to knowing that the Roscón de Reyes is one of the favorite breakfasts during the Christmas holidays, few are those who know its origin, and some more curiosities that are worth uncovering.

In Casa Mira, we tell you some curiosities of the Roscón de Reyes that you should know.

Some curiosities of the Roscón de Reyes

1.- Its origin is Roman. The origin of the Roscón de Reyes dates back to Roman times. In those years, in the month of December, when the harvests were over, tribute was paid to the god of agriculture Saturn in a feast called the “Feast of the Slave“. Later, the Visigoths of France continued with the tradition, although what they celebrated was the winter solstice on January 6, but they called it the “Feast of the Bean“. On that feast a sponge cake with a broad bean inside was prepared and the bun was distributed among the poorest children of the city. Whoever found the bean was crowned king for a day, honored and given donations.

The bean represented the germ of life. The bean represented good luck and fertility, but centuries later, the pastry chef of King Louis XV decided to add a gold coin to the roscón. The one who found the coin was the king, and the one who found the bean paid for the cake. Hence the expression “fool of the bean”.

3.- The Roscón de Reyes is not a Spanish recipe. It was brought by King Philip V from France and, since few people had a gold coin among the population, it was popularized by changing the coin for a small figurine.

4.- The predictions of the Roscón de Reyes. In the 17th century, a piece of roscón was kept for the relatives who had not been able to attend the meal. If the roscón resisted and did not go moldy, it meant that the relatives were in good health, wherever they were.

5.- Following the shooting star. Also in the 17th century, it was customary to cut the top of the bean and draw a star, because it was thought that the bean king would be guided by a shooting star during his reign, just like the Magi to Bethlehem.

Roscón in other places

6.- Roscón de Reyes was not eaten in Valencia until the 1960s. Before that, people used to eat a marzipan cake in the shape of a snake, similar to the marzipan eel.

7.- In Portugal they also have Roscón de Reyes. In Portugal they have a sweet similar to our Roscón de Reyes called Bolo rei, but inside the dough it has raisins, dried fruits and port wine. When the Republic was proclaimed in 1910 it was about to disappear, so the confectioners decided to change its name to Pastei de Navidad.

8.- In Switzerland, a sponge cake called Torta de Reyes is eaten. It consists of several sponge cakes joined together to form a flower so that each diner can take a piece. It has been eaten since the middle of the 20th century and also hides a bean and a figure of a king.

In Casa Mira we elaborate a wonderful Roscón de Reyes, totally handmade in our workshop, decorated with fruit and nuts.

You can come to visit us at our physical store or buy it through our online store, but be sure to try it!