Even though the weather is not yet very wintery in Malaga, little by little you start to feel Christmas. With stores filled with nougat, marzipan, chocolates and candies, many are already looking forward to sinking their teeth into them. An example of this is the video that went viral on social networks this Friday and which talks about what, for many, the best mantecados in Malaga: “The most anticipated in the world,” says a store employee in a post on TikTok.
It’s shortbread Philip II which, they say, is 120 years old and has a curious history. Both on its packaging and on its website you can read statements such as “it is the first and oldest mantecado in Spain, registered in the Patent and Trademark Office of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and of Tourism” or “it was presented, at the dawn of the 20th century, until the Madrid International Exhibition of 1903, where it obtained the coveted gold medal.
On his page, it is even indicated that “the origin of this unique gem of Spanish confectionery perhaps dates back to the time of the Reconquista, before the discovery of the Americas in 1492.
But the reality is that from the Blancanieves Tejedor confectionery of Vitoria, manufacturer of sweets, practically no information is given on the true history of what is, without a doubt, one of the The most famous polvorones in Spain. According to the Directo al paladar website, even Díez’s heirs did not have the original recipe for Polvorones de l’Escurial mentioned by the current makers of Felipe II.
In fact, the first known recipe for mantecados dates back to the mid-18th century and can be found in Steppea Sevillian municipality adjacent to the province of Málaga and, more specifically, Antequera, the other historic epicenter of the Spanish powder magazine. And it was in Seville that the creator of Escorial Polvorones de Bilbao, Domingo Díez, learned the recipe that he began making at the beginning of the 20th century in the family workshop, in 1902.
In any case, as this establishment in Malaga assures, Majorcanthe flavor of these shortbreads is “spectacular”. They are numbered and have a different texture from those of Estepa or Antequera. They are small and made with almond flour.
“It’s for you. Mmm delicious. It’s toast. Alright, very good Come and buy them at La Mallorquina, the oldest store in Malaga, which offers the best Christmas treats in all of Spain”, the worker said happily.
In this establishment located in the Sagasta Street number 1 from the capital Malaga they also sell Almond Polvorones or Coconut Mantecados. Public sale hours are Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. On Wednesdays and Saturdays they are open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on Sundays the store is closed.
The Mallorcan is a artisanal grocery store founded the year 1943 by Salvador Postigo, who managed it until 1982, when it became the property of José Palma Aguilar. Today he preserves the tradition and runs La Mallorquina with his son, José Palma Medina. From what they say on their website, they are a reference in Malaga for the quality of the products they offer, preserving the “Ancient” flavor since we preserve the good work of our ancestors and work with small producers who produce artisan products, most of them Malaga and national.
