King’s and Queen’s cakes, the pastries of the festive season
Dried or candied fruit, the epiphany dessert
The Portuguese king’s cake is a brioche inspired by the French brioche in vogue at the court of King Louis XVI.
It seems to have been introduced to Portugal by the Confeitaria Nacionale, a delightful tea room in Lisbon’s Baixa district.
As in France, the cake eaten at Christmas and Epiphany almost disappeared under the onslaught of the French Revolution, and in Portugal with the arrival of the Republic.
But it’s still with us today, and is a delicacy of choice for the festive season.
The Portuguese brioche is denser and more compact.
They also continue to include a bean, which in Portugal is still known today as the vegetable bean.
Too bad for collectors of porcelain or iron miniatures, which was the tradition in Portugal.
King or queen, there’s something for everyone
In reality, there are two types of King’s cake. One is kingly, bolo de rei, with crystallised candied fruit.
The other, softer type is made with dried fruit known as ‘mendiants’.
This is the queen’s cake, bolo rainha.
The mendiants were the winter dried fruits that were offered in medieval times. Each one represents a religious order that has taken a vow of poverty.
There are four of them. Walnuts and hazelnuts for the Carmelites, dried figs for the Franciscans, almonds for the Dominicans and sultanas for the Augustinians.
Over time, these beggars have evolved.
And while dried figs are widely available during the festive season, figs do not feature much in the Queen’s cake. Instead, pine nuts are used.
Dried fruit is a Portuguese tradition shared with Provence, in France, and other countries that maintain the tradition of bolo rei or rainha.
King or queen for a day, king or queen forever
Tradition has it that a slice of cake, known as the poor man’s slice or king’s slice, is kept to give to those who lack everything.
The bean found by the guest makes him or her king or queen for a day.
It seems that the tradition of the banquet king dates back to the Romans. The Church took over this tradition. It became a Catholic rite associated with the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus.
These kings are Melchior, Balthazar and Gaspard. Epiphany is celebrated on 6 January.
Whatever your beliefs, sharing the kings‘ or queens’ cake is a moment of conviviality that brings young and old together.
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