Espécies of São Jorge

The Espécies of São Jorge are a traditional sweet made on the Island of São Jorge, in the Azores archipelago, highly appreciated by the locals and by all who visit this wonderful Azorean island.

Although it is a traditional sweet of the people of São Jorge Island and primarily served in the region, the companies responsible for its production also sell it to the other islands of the Azores.

This delicacy contains spices such as fennel, cinnamon, and pepper in its recipe. It is shaped like small tender dough rings, cut transversely on the top, revealing the brownish-colored filling.

The production of the Espécies of São Jorge involves several steps, from preparing the filling to the dough and baking. There are three stages to producing this magnificent and delicious sweet from São Jorge Island, and its quality is guaranteed by the Azores Brand Seal: “Azores Certified by Nature.”

When visiting São Jorge Island, you must try the Espécies of São Jorge! True sweet lovers cannot miss this delight. Enjoy!

History of the Espécies of São Jorge

The origins of the Espécies of São Jorge date back to the settlement of São Jorge Island in the 15th century. In the past, they were known as “sweet bugs,” and their filling was made with homemade bread, toasted and ground in “atafonas,” a type of mill.

The toasted bread was beaten inside a sack with a “mexilhão” and then sifted and mixed with other spices. Finally, after cooling, small portions called “bichanas” were hand-rolled and used to line the dough internally.

Over time, this sweet came to be known as Espécies of São Jorge and became one of the main symbols of São Jorge Island. An interesting story is that of Maria Vitória Baptista, who has been making these Espécies for over 30 years on the island. Her house is located in the Rosais parish, and even today, at over 80 years old, she still makes the dough and bakes the Espécies on a gas stove.

The work is very meticulous to achieve the traditional shape of the Espécies, resembling a horseshoe. It was a very difficult recipe to master, and few people knew how to make it, as the essence, which is the spices, could not be left out of the recipe.

Therefore, if you want to learn more about the production of this historic regional sweet, visit a local where they are made on São Jorge Island and discover this centuries-old tradition.

What Are the Espécies of São Jorge and How Are They Made?

The Espécies of São Jorge are small cakes that resemble a horseshoe, with small slits where the filling can be seen. They are named after the Island of São Jorge and the spices used in the recipe.

The filling is made a day before the dough, and it includes spices (fennel, cinnamon, and pepper). The following ingredients are typically found in the recipe for the Espécies of São Jorge: wheat flour, sugar, eggs, breadcrumbs, butter, nutmeg, lemon, fennel, cinnamon, pepper, salt, and water.

Recipe and Ingredients

Here is the recipe to make your own Espécies of São Jorge at home. For the filling, you will need:

• 500 g of sugar;
• 25 g of butter;
• 250 g of toasted bread;
• 25 g of cinnamon;
• 30 g of ground fennel;
• half a teaspoon of allspice;
• zest from 1 to 2 lemons.

Bring the sugar to the boil with 200 ml of water and let it simmer until it reaches the thread stage. Add the breadcrumbs and other ingredients, stir everything, and let it cook until the mixture becomes thick. Allow it to cool and store it overnight.

With the dough ready and using a pastry wheel, cut the dough into strips 4 to 5 cm wide and the desired length. Mark the middle of the dough lengthwise and make small horizontal slits on one half.

Next, place a small roll of the filling on the unslit side of the dough, then cover it with the slit side, creating a sealed roll by wetting the edges of the dough. Shape the rolls into the traditional horseshoe form or other shapes such as letters, half-moons, rings, etc. Finally, bake in a medium oven.

Price and Where to Buy

Don’t miss the chance to experience and even bake these regional biscuits. The Espécies of São Jorge can also be found in various stores and supermarkets, in packages of 6 units, with an average price of €4.50.

Photographs in this article by CRAA