Jaume Ramon Solé.
The word “mona” referred to in the Easter cake comes from the Latin “munda” (“tray garnished with pasta offered to the goddess Ceres”), a neutral plural of mundus or could also come from ancient Arabic. mūna (“present or gift consisting of provisions of mouth”). On Easter Sunday, the godmothers and godparents present this cake to their godchildren.
In our country, within the linguistic field of Catalan, the Easter cake has many other names depending on the geographical place where it is located. Only in the Valencian Country does the Easter monkey receive the name of: Coca d’aire, panou, pa d’ou, pa d’aire, fogasseta, pa socarrat, pa cremat, fogassa, tonya, thin, prima, rosca o coca bova. Many of these names correspond to what we know here as sweet cake or gingerbread. There are other sweet products, typical of Easter such as fritters or brunyols, flaó de Morella, tortell de Rams, fried milk, rostes, or confits, rubiols and crespells from Mallorca.
Ingredients for Mona’s gingerbread
5 eggs
120 gr. of flour.
200 gr. of sugar
A pinch of salt
Icing sugar.
We will fill it and garnish it to everyone’s taste, with butter, candied fruit, chopped toasted almonds, jam, sweet liqueur, chocolate ……
Bon Appetit!
Jaume Ramon Solé.
