The Sea Urchin, or erizo has to be one of the most interesting things I have eaten so far.  Far up north in the Asturias region of Spain (maybe I got there on the back of a motorcycle? you never can tell….)  in a city called Gijón, I stood at long bar, staring at the black shapes on my plate getting ready to attack. I saw them the day before….I have to have those I thought.  And I did.

They were presented steamed, though you will find them in the haute cuisine of Spain as an oceanic accent.  The best way to describe what spiky sea urchin tastes like is being hit in a face with a very big ocean wave.  Es como un golpe de una ola del mar en su cara....  The part to eat is the caviar, that would be the orange bits in the middle.  Apparently the females produce a much better flavor than the males, but both are yummy, high in protein with certain anticancer properties.  Not bad for such a freaky looking little guy! I wouldn’t recommend fishing for these yourself though, some are poisonous!

A very long time ago, I took a little trip away from Madrid to Toledo. ( I have been neglecting my writing, there is much to document!)  The medieval town really hasn’t changed in centuries….the roads wind through the small central area each stone laid lovingly by hand and the bowed wood of the door frames divulge their antiquity.   After visiting the Catedral and seeing El Greco’s masterpiece Entierro del Conde de Orgaz, I proceeded to get hopelessly, and happily lost winding my way around Mosques, Synagogues and Churches; three cultures who lived at peace for nearly 700 years.

I bought a two things in Toledo, a present for my dear mother (can’t tell you what!) and Mazapán, the sweet almond candy that is ubiquitous (ubicou, my newest Spanish word) in Toledo.

The history of this tasty treat depends completely on who you ask, but Toledo’s story tells that Mazapán was invented by Toledo’s monks in the San Clemente Convent when extreme hunger persisted during the Battle of Navas De Tolosa (1212) during the Muslim conquest of  Spain.  Though the “dulce” is thought to be christian, its name is distinctly Arabic. Some scholars trace its etymology to the world “mahsaban” which refers to a pastry or dessert made with almonds and dried fruits while others think the word comes from “mantha-ban” meaning sitting king.

Mazapán itself has two basic ingredients, sugar and almonds (azucar y almedras)  to which other flavors are added, such as egg, honey or jam.  Just like Jamón, Toledo’s Mazapán production is controlled by the Ministerio de Agricultura, and the true form must consist of no less than 50% almonds by weight.  So interesting!

This is the one that I tasted, filled with a bit of “yema ducle” or sweetened egg yoke.  Walking through the streets, the windows were full of Mazapán art, sculptures of little children, apples, pears and oranges, even a detailed replica of the Catedral.  The flavor is very strong and the texture is quite dense. It’s a common treat at Christmas time, as a normal person couldn’t possibly eat this everyday, let alone more than one tiny piece at a time. Although, as a lover of all things almond (nut, flavor, heart healthy fat) this definately has my stamp of approval.