The Tarta de Santiago or Saint James Cake is a typical Galician almond cake or pie with origins in the Middle Ages and can be found in every pastry shop in Santiago de Compostela and along the Camino de Santiago. It is however originally a Jewish Passover cake, containing no flour, therefore gluten-free and great for giving energy to pilgrims during the Camino.
Like all over Spain, Santiago de Compostela’s convents offer delicious delicacies made by the nuns available for purchase on request.
A popular tradition says that if you do not want it to rain on your wedding day, you must take a minimum of 12 fresh eggs to the Clarissa of the Convent of Santa Clara asking them in return to pray for a sunny day.
The nuns then made out almond cakes – Tartas de Santiago – of these fresh eggs which are considered one of the culinary delights of the city of Santiago de Compostela.
Continue reading Convent delicacies from Santiago de Compostela
In the middle of the 9th century, the Iberian peninsula was a large, bloody battlefield, as a result of the constant fighting between Christians and the Arab invaders. The south of Spain was controlled by the Arabs where they consolidated their supremacy by converting much of the old Visigoth élite to Islam. Still, Galicia, parts of Leon, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque area have not been subdued (where the French Way passes).
Continue reading Using Santiago Matamoros for political reasons in Medieval Times