Picatostes

Picatostes are slices of fried bread, from loaves fried with lard or olive oil. They are typical of Madrid, Spain. They are usually sweetened with granules of refined sugar on the outside. They are most commonly eaten for breakfast or a light lunch (merienda), accompanied by coffee. They are also sometimes eaten as a substitute for chocolate and churros (including as a late night snack). They can be eaten hot or cold. As a cheap staple food, they are also a common accompaniment to beverages in the traditional cafés of Madrid where tertulias are held.[1][2]

Picatostes
A stack of picatostes at Café de Oriente in Madrid
TypeSweet bread
Place of originSpain
Region or stateMadrid

Characteristics

Picatostes are rectangular slices of bread, cut from loaves fried in lard or olive oil to the point of having a golden color and a crunchy crust. Typically, shortly after frying they are sweetened with refined sugar. Their shape is suitable for dipping in coffee or hot chocolate. A similar but more savory dish, torrijas, can be made by soaking the bread in a sauce before frying.

A 1933 reference work on the vocabulary of Andalusia (southern Spain) says that a picatoste is a slice of bread soaked in salt water, then fried.[3] Some writers say that pica comes from picar ("to peck", "to bite", or "to burn") and refers to the stimulation of thirst.[4]

See also

Notes
  1. José del Corral, (2000), «Ayer y hoy de la gastronomía madrileña», Madrid
  2. Gómez de la Serna, Ramón (1929). Sagrada Cripta de Pombo (1ª ed.). Madrid: Moderna (Visor). ISBN 84-7522-802-X.
  3. Antonio Alcalá Venceslada, (1933), «Vocabulario andaluz»
  4. Sebastián de Covarrubias Orozco, Felipe C. R. Maldonado, Manuel Camarero «Tesoro de la lengua castellana o española», Ed. Castalia, p. 821.
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