Muffin

The mollete is the generic name for a multitude of breads, or bread-based foods, that can be found throughout Spanish-speaking territories, particularly Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Spain, Guatemala and Mexico. Its name comes from dock, in reference to the sponginess and tenderness of the crumb, the main characteristic of muffins.

Origin

The first mention of muffins can be found in the Latin-Spanish Dictionary of 1492, in which Nebrija defines them as: «any bread that is spongy and soft ('tender' 39;)". In Latin, panis molliculus means 'soft bread', also called panis tenellus ('delicate bread'), and referred to rolls with a white and very fluffy crumb, achieved by briefly baking. with milk, and also used to refer to lower quality brown breads. Molletes, however, are more typical of Andalusia and Extremadura. The same etymological origin can be found in the Catalan molla or molló ('miga') and in French mollet or mollette ('bodigo'), as well as in the Spanish adjective "mollar" ('soft, easy to part').

By countries

Bolivia

Mollettes in Bolivia, especially those from the Vallegrande province, are a type of bread made from whole wheat flour, eggs, cheese and lots of lard. They are typical of the region of the valleys, in the department of Santa Cruz.

Cuba

In Melena del Sur, a town in the province of Mayabeque, the inhabitants have the custom of preparing a dish they call "melenero muffin", which consists of bread to which empty the crumb, and it is filled with ground meat (mince); then the bread is covered again and coated in beaten egg to be fried in butter or hot oil. The mollete also refers to an old typical sweet in Cuba. As Dr. Silvia Mayra Gómez Fariñas relates, there are different types of muffins in Cuba, apart from the melenero, which, however, are losing tradition and remaining as a memory of ancient Cuban gastronomy. The sweet muffin can be made with red mamey, and also with banana, pineapple or coconut.

Spain

An Archidona mill served with olive oil.

Antequera brush with butter.

Muffins can be found in various municipalities in Spain with a traditional bakery tradition, especially those in Andalusia and Extremadura; It is worth noting the Antequera muffin, the only one with the PGI protection seal, but the Archidona muffin (in the province of Málaga), the Marchena, Osuna or Écija muffins (in the province of Seville) or the muffin are also traditional. from Puerto Serrano, Espera and Algodonales (in the Sierra de Cádiz), with a variant called "ablandao" in Bornos. The molletes are typical for making Andalusian breakfasts, slices of toasted bread with olive oil and sugar or salt, and sometimes with tomato or garlic. Sometimes they are flavored with matalahúva, the Andalusian name for anise. It is typical to soak them in oil, spread them with butter, or accompany them with other traditional products: pork rinds, manteca colorá, asientos or zurrapa de lomo. The Extremaduran or Siberian muffin is similar to pita bread but with more crumbs. The Badajoz muffin has a characteristic cut in the middle. The Galician muffin or molete is made of wheat flour, has a moist crumb and a bun (called pirucho) that characterizes it. It is typical especially in Santiago of Compostela.

As for the origin of Spanish muffins, food historians are divided into two main theories. The muffins have in common their possible origin in the unleavened bread used in ancient times for mass, and of Hebrew origin.

Guatemala

In Totonicapán, a town with a great baking tradition, the famous egg yolk breads are made for Easter. This tradition dates from colonial times, in which bakers produced large pieces of bread to supply the town during holy days, when they did not work. Within the great variety of "big" cakes, there are muffins, which are pieces of sweet bread covered on top with sifted flour, simulating a snowy volcano.

Honduras

Mushroom, similar to to torrijas, but filling.

In Copán, in western Honduras, a sweet yolk bread dessert is prepared very similar to the torrijas of the Central Zone, but with a filling, made up of the inside of the bread itself, which is extracted to mix it with sweet spices like cloves and cinnamon. The breads are filled and wrapped in beaten egg, to later fry them and, after passing them through hot water (to eliminate the fat), they cook a little more, submerged in dulce de panela honey or dulce de rapadura, which is nothing more than the solidified product of sugar cane in its least refined form.

In the village of La Empalizada, in the eastern department of Olancho, a muffin is prepared that consists of a kind of long cake, with a sugar bath and a sweet filling.

Mexico

Mexican spells.

Molletes are a dish with a toasted bolillo base and various savory or sweet ingredients. They are prepared by making a longitudinal cut in a bolillo, taking each half and putting it on the griddle or in the oven to heat and toast it. Refried beans are spread on it, a slice of cheese is placed on it, and it is left on the griddle until the cheese is melted, or it is placed in the oven. In certain restaurants, additionally, it is served with bacon, ham, sausage, chorizo or pico de gallo.

It is eaten in the morning or for breakfast. It is a very common dish in Mexico City.

In the state of Querétaro, they are also prepared with butter and sugar, said dish being, due to its preparation, preferred for breakfast, when combined with milk or atole, and are called molletes con mantero.

In the state of Sonora, in Mexico, they also add shredded meat with chili, and they are called molletes con carne. It is a very common breakfast in school canteens and food restaurants quick homemade.

In the Comarca Lagunera it is customary to serve them with a stew that is prepared to fill the gorditas, which can be potatoes in green sauce, potatoes in red sauce, egg with chili, rajas, milanesa, pressed pork rinds, green roast and red, shredded meat, chorizo, barbecue, or natural (beans and cheese gratin).

In Mexico City there is another variation, in which chilaquiles are placed on top of the muffins, which can be made from red sauce or green sauce, commonly called tecolotes.

Not so common but it has been seen in the Northern City of Monterrey, roast beef is added and it can be a dish that is enjoyed at the time of an evening with friends in a traditional roast beef. In the rest of the country its consumption has become popular due to its introduction by restaurants and because it is easy to prepare. It is worth mentioning that "muffin" It is not a vulgar word, however in the Northwest of Mexico, in the city of Monterrey, the word mollete is adjectived to refer to the lover or a person in a non-binding sexual or loving relationship. In particular, the "muffin" itself has a variable degree of social acceptance, and the action can be verbalized as: you are muffining a certain person, I am going to eat a muffin, the muffin appeared, I saw that you are muffining a, etc

Peru

In northern Peru, in the Cajamarca region, the mollete is a sweet bread made from flour, eggs, chancaca honey (or cane honey), and yeast, more like a sponge cake, with spices like cinnamon and cloves. It is prepared as a family, prior to the festival of All Saints (November 1). The biscuits are shaped like dolls for the girls or horses for the boys, and they are given as gifts for them to play and eat. Generally, this bread is prepared as a family, in traditional ovens; a beautiful custom in the Cajamarca region that is gradually being abandoned and has led to more commercial versions in this region.