Page 110 - 2021-03-01BakefromScratch_UserUpload_Net

ruby- and gold-hued box was always synonymous with family
holidays, especially those spent in the Philippines at my Tito Bobby’s
Ahouse. Its individually wrapped contents, called ensaymada, appeared

humble—a golden puff of pastry, delicately coated in butter, sugar, and a
dusting of cheese. One bite revealed an extraordinarily tender, melt-in-
your-mouth bread, perfectly contrasted by the sugary coating and salty
queso de bola. Ensaymadas’ ethereal texture was one my Grandpa Helding—a
bookworm, not a cook—sought for several years to recreate. Whenever they

arrived on special occasions, the gloves came off; guaranteed, in minutes, my
cousins and I had hidden our own stashes around the house, Easter egg-style.
But what is an ensaymada and how did it become so covetable?

The beginning of that story starts on the Spanish isle of Mallorca with a
spiral-shaped pastry called ensaïmada. Saïm in Catalan means “lard”—an
essential in this recipe. A yeasted dough is rolled paper-thin before being
slathered with the soft rendered pork fat. It’s then rolled, coiled, and allowed
to ferment for 12 to 18 hours. Once baked, the ensaïmada boasts a golden-

brown crust that gives way to an airy, almost flaky interior, all of which gets
dusted in confectioners’ sugar.

Ensaïmadas’ exact origins are unknown yet often speculated. A slew of
conquerors, including the Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, and Moors, left
their mark on Mallorca. It was then conquered in 1229 by King Jaume I of
Aragon, known today as an autonomous community in northeastern Spain.
Some assign ensaïmadas to Moorish influence, claiming that the coiled shape

imitated their traditional turbans, or that saïm came from samna, the Arabic
word for “fat.” A few theories cite a similar, Moorish, sheep’s milk butter-
based pastry called bulemes dolces as the ensaïmada’s predecessor, while

others point to Jewish bulemas, another yeasted and stuffed confection.

Since both Muslim and Jewish traditions prohibited pork products, the lard
possibly came later. Around the time of the Spanish Inquisition, eating
pork was a popular way to prove one’s conversion to Christianity.

But the transformational journey of Mallorcan ensaïmada to
Filipino ensaymada was again steeped in conquest and cultural
exchange. Home to varied lands ranging from emerald rice
terraces to pristine white sand beaches, the Philippines
was—and still is—a multicolored quilt in the form of
more than 7,600 islands. Beyond contributions from
neighboring countries like Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia,
trade also brought the archipelago Chinese, Arab, and

Indian influences. Spain played a particularly significant
role, conquering and colonizing the country from 1565
to 1898, followed by the United States, which controlled
the islands for nearly 50 years. Each left an imprint on the
Philippines, from its language to its diverse cuisine. Amy Besa,
author of Memories of Philippine Kitchens, splits the country’s
fare into two categories: foods that were always Filipino and foods
that they borrowed and adapted to their own tastes. Ensaymada falls
into that latter description.

Although ensaymadas during the Spanish colonial era initially mirrored their

Mallorcan counterparts, the pastry and its preparation gradually evolved.
The name took on its Tagalog spelling. The bread became more brioche-like,
with the fat now also added into the dough. As locals began to interpret the
recipe for themselves, the ensaymada-making process became as varied as
the Filipino population itself.