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The Easter Cake in Catalonia can be an artwork made of chocolate. Godfathers offer it to their godsons or goddaughters on Easter Sunday. The word Mona, although is spelled as the female monkey, has an arab root and means present. In the old times Easter cakes used to be a ring shaped sweet bread decorated with whole boiled eggs.
Watch this video to see some Monas, including the 400kg woodpeker on display at the Escribà pastry shop at the Gran Via. Those crazy about shoes can get some high heel shoes made of chocolate.
http://www.antena3noticias.com/PortalA3N/cultura-espectaculos/Impresionantes-monas-Pascua-listas-para-regalar-Barcelona/10213459
Escribà is a century old family owned company and is well known for its cakes and chocolates, as well as caterings. Their website is quite original but not easy to navigate.
http://www.escriba.es/base_en.html
Today I walked past the Mistral Bakery and it brought me memories from my student years. Situated not far from the old building of the University of Barcelona, it produces a variety of artisan breads, including ecological bread. It is always packed with people as it is famous for its Coques de Pa -a typical flat bread with some caramelized sugar on the top- and the Ensaimades, a pastry original from the island of Mallorca, where it is been baked for centuries. The ensaimades, shaped as spirals, are made with flour, milk, eggs, sugar and pork lard (known as saïm in Mallorca). They are delicious when they are still warm. At this time of the year they also sell Bunyols (Lent Fritters).
Ronda Sant Antoni, 96 by the Plaça Universitat
Metro: Universitat (Red line)
At this time of the year, you have the opportunity to taste the typical fritters sold in Lent, the period covering 40 days before Easter in the catholic calendar. They are made with flour, milk, sugar, eggs and then fried in oil. You will find them in bakeries and pastry shops –often on Fridays only-: “wind” fritters (bunyols de vent) are small hollow balls (sometimes stuffed with cream) while those shaped as small donuts have a thicker consistency, and include some aniseed and/or anisette in the recipe.
