Português
Español
Français
Deutsch
Italiano
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.
