January 6 is a date full of traditions, marked by the celebration of the Epiphany, which commemorates the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem to adore the child Jesus and offer him gold, frankincense and myrrh. Currently, this holiday is celebrated with two mythical customs: opening gifts in the morning and eating with the family the roscón de Reyes, the mythical little bread made from sweet dough and circular in shape, covered with candied fruit and filled with cream or cream.
Like so many other Christian traditions and dishes we eat at Christmas, the origin of roscón de Reyes is pagan. It is said to date back to the Saturnaliathe celebration that the Romans organized in honor of Saturn, god of agriculture and harvests. This festival took place in December, at the winter solstice, with the aim of commemorating the end of hard work in the fields.
During these celebrations, Romans exchanged gifts and held banquets to enjoy a good feast. As part of the menu, it was customary to prepare a honey cake with dried fruits and dates or figs. From the 3rd century, the custom began to hide a dried bean, a symbol of luck at the time, inside the sweet cake. Whoever received the grain was considered lucky and enjoyed certain privileges, such as a day off.
From paganism to Christianity
In the 4th century, when the Church transformed these festivals into Christian celebrations, the tradition of eating roscón de Reyes has been forgotten. It is not known exactly how this candy ended up becoming the protagonist of Epiphany, but the historian Julio Caro Baroja pointed it out in his work Carnival that there are mentions of this little bread in two testimonies from the 12th century.
The celebration of Twelfth Day began to spread throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, particularly in countries like France. There, this celebration is called Kings Day and We celebrate it by eating the Galette des Roisa variation of the Three Kings roscón made from puff pastry and filled with a French cream called frangipane.
What happens if you get the bean?
The modern roscón de Reyes, as we know it today, is distinguished by its scent of orange blossom water, decorated with candied fruit and filled with cream, cream or truffle. However, in recent years, the Roscón experience has completely transformed and some pastry chefs continue to create innovative versions, incorporating new flavors and toppings. There is a roscón made with dulce de leche, caramel, pistachio or lemon, there is one without topping and even with salty ingredients.
Despite the new additions, what doesn’t change are the traditions hidden within. The roscón de Reyes maintains the custom of including two key elements: the bean and the figure of the king. Whoever gets the grain must pay the roscón, while whoever finds the figurine is crowned king or queen for a day.
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