Paparajotes are a typical dessert of Murcia,

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made with

lemon The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

leaves coated with a dough made with

flour Flour is a powder made by Mill (grinding), grinding raw grains, List of root vegetables, roots, beans, Nut (fruit), nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredie ...

and egg that are fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar and

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, b ...

History

Paparajotes were introduced by way of the Middle East to Murcia and were made in peasant homes . In Murcia they were made daily, cooked using firewood, and eaten after each meal often accompanying by puchero coffee or café de olla. Main ingredients are:

, egg,

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...

, and lemon leaves. Even today the origin of the name remains a mystery.

Preparation

To make paparajotes, lemon leaves are collected from local orchards. The leaves should be light green (young), and neither too soft or too hard. Once a leaf is chosen, it is coated with dough and fried.

Yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom (biology), kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are est ...

is used in the dough to cause the dough to rise and coat the leaf.

Consumption

Today, it is the typical dish of the spring festivities in Murcia ( Bando de la Huerta) together with the fritters, dessert that is traditionally eaten on the day of San José and Matasuegras, some fried biscuits stuffed with pastry cream or chocolate. The leaf is not supposed to be eaten; the eater is expected to scrape the fried batter off the leaf with their teeth. The leaf is used only to give form and a slight citrus flavor to the batter.

Stalls

Both in the spring festivities and during the Feria de Septiembra de Murcia, many Murcians put up stalls, which provide food to festival attendees. These stalls are located in places assigned by the relevant town hall, and it is there that people can enjoy the paparajotes, one of the symbols and hallmark of the Region of Murcia.

Paparajotes totaneros

Totana paparajotes are not sweet, but salty. They are a mixture of mashed chickpeas (previously cooked with cod), eggs, cod, garlic and parsley. This mixture is then collected with a spoon and fried at the same time in a frying pan with the oil very hot. It is customary to cook them at

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

and add them to a stew made of chickpeas and potatoes.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Página oficial de la Región de Murcia donde se explica la elaboración de los paparajotes

Lo mejor de la gastronomía

La receta tradicional
* San Jose * Bando de la Huerta Spanish desserts Fritters