Spanish confectionery has Arab roots, in its use of almonds, honey, cinnamon and citrus, and convent roots: for centuries nuns made sweets to sell for their upkeep, often using egg yolks left over by wineries, which used the whites to clarify wine. In many cities you can still buy dulces de convento through a revolving hatch, without seeing the nuns.
Classics from all over Spain
- Flan: crème caramel, found on almost every menú del día.
- Arroz con leche: rice pudding with cinnamon and lemon peel, especially loved in Asturias.
- Natillas: soft custard served with a biscuit.
- Torrijas: slices of bread soaked in milk or wine, fried and sugared, typical of Lent and Holy Week.
- Churros with chocolate.
- Buñuelos: fritters, hollow or filled, eaten at All Saints and during the Fallas.
Region by region
- Catalonia: crema catalana with its caramelised sugar crust, eaten especially on 19 March, St Joseph's Day; mel i mató (fresh cheese with honey); All Saints panellets.
- Balearics: Majorcan ensaimada, a feather-light spiral of yeasted dough made with lard, sold in big octagonal boxes; greixonera.
- Galicia: tarta de Santiago, an almond cake with the cross of St James stencilled in icing sugar; filloas, crêpes.
- Castile and León: yemas de Ávila, egg-yolk and sugar sweets linked to St Teresa; Astorga mantecados; ponche segoviano.
- Castile-La Mancha: Toledo marzipan and Guadalajara's syrup-soaked bizcochos borrachos.
- Andalusia: tocino de cielo, born in Jerez, an egg-yolk and sugar pudding; pestiños, honeyed fritters; Medina Sidonia alfajores; Estepa polvorones; Castilleja de la Cuesta tortas de aceite.
- Valencian Community and Murcia: Jijona and Alicante turrón; pasteles de gloria; Murcian paparajotes, lemon leaves fried in batter.
- Basque Country and Navarre: pastel vasco, filled with custard or cherries; goxua; canutillos.
- Aragon: frutas de Aragón, chocolate-coated candied fruit; adoquines del Pilar.
- Cantabria: quesada pasiega and sobaos pasiegos, buttery cakes from the Pas valley.
- Canaries: almond bienmesabe and frangollo.
For festive sweets see the Christmas table, and for context Spanish cuisine.