“tortell de Reis”：加泰罗尼亚国王节传统

巴塞罗那糕点协会预计本周末在加泰罗尼亚地区将售出超过 100 万个手工“tortells de Reis”，与去年的销售数字相当。

Artisanal bakers in Barcelona are gearing up for a busy weekend as they prepare to sell over one million 'tortells de Reis' across Catalonia.

巴塞罗那的手工面包师们正准备迎接一个忙碌的周末，他们准备在加泰罗尼亚出售超过一百万个“tortells de Reis”。

Preparations began on Thursday for the traditional Kings' Day cakes, which are typically baked on the evening of January 5 or the morning of January 6 to ensure maximum freshness.

传统国王节蛋糕的准备工作于周四开始，通常在 1 月 5 日晚上或 1 月 6 日早上烘烤，以确保最大程度的新鲜。

At the La Palma bakery in Sabadell, bakers will be working through the night to sell the cakes as fresh as possible.

在萨瓦德尔的拉帕尔马面包店，面包师们将彻夜工作，以尽可能新鲜地出售蛋糕。

The traditional marzipan cake with candied fruit remains the favorite among consumers, followed by cream or truffle-filled variations.

传统的蜜饯杏仁糖蛋糕仍然是消费者的最爱，其次是奶油或松露夹心蛋糕。

Prices for these traditional cakes range from €20 to €50.

这些传统蛋糕的价格从 20 欧元到 50 欧元不等。

"It's a day that never fails. Family gatherings, gift-giving, and the joy of sharing a 'tortell,'" said Carles Boix, a baker at La Palma.

拉帕尔马的面包师卡尔斯·博瓦 (Carles Boix) 表示：“这是永远不会失败的一天。家庭聚会、赠送礼物以及分享‘玉米饼’的乐趣。”

Amid growing competition from industrially produced cakes, bakers are keen to highlight the value of using top-quality ingredients in their creations.

在工业生产蛋糕的竞争日益激烈的情况下，面包师热衷于强调在其创作中使用优质原料的价值。

"An artisanal 'tortell' cake uses fresh, perishable ingredients like eggs, butter, and milk, so it should be baked fresh and eaten in two days maximum," explained Boix.

“手工‘tortell’蛋糕使用鸡蛋、黄油和牛奶等新鲜、易腐烂的原料，因此应该新鲜烘焙并最多在两天内食用，”博瓦解释道。

Another distinguishing feature is the use of quality candied fruit, made by boiling real fruit with sugar and water, compared to industrial cakes that often use pumpkin as a cheaper substitute.

另一个显着特点是使用优质蜜饯，将真正的水果与糖和水一起煮沸而成，而工业蛋糕通常使用南瓜作为更便宜的替代品。

Crafting an artisanal 'tortell de Reis' involves around six to eight hours of work.

制作手工“tortell de Reis”大约需要六到八个小时的工作。

Bakers begin by making a brioche dough with natural starter, strong flour, fresh yeast, eggs, and butter. Once ready, the dough is filled with marzipan and hidden trinkets, a figurine of a king and a bean, before the cakes are rolled, shaped, and decorated.

面包师首先用天然发酵剂、强力面粉、新鲜酵母、鸡蛋和黄油制作奶油蛋卷面团。准备好后，面团中会填满杏仁蛋白软糖和隐藏的小饰品，即国王和豆子的雕像，然后将蛋糕卷起、成型和装饰。

At La Palma, baking only begins late on January 5 to ensure cakes are freshly baked for delivery.

在 La Palma，烘焙工作仅在 1 月 5 日晚些时候开始，以确保蛋糕是新鲜出炉并交付的。

The 'tortell de Reis' traces its roots to Roman winter festivals, where cakes with figs, dates, and honey were served.

“tortell de Reis”的起源可以追溯到罗马冬季节日，人们会享用无花果、枣子和蜂蜜制成的蛋糕。

The inclusion of a bean, symbolizing prosperity and fertility, emerged in the 3rd century. By the 18th century, a French chef added a gold coin to surprise King Louis XV, starting the tradition of hiding trinkets.

象征繁荣和生育力的豆子出现于公元三世纪。到了 18 世纪，一位法国厨师添加了一枚金币来给国王路易十五一个惊喜，开启了隐藏小饰品的传统。

In Catalonia, the 'tortell de Reis' tradition only took off in the early 20th century, but its popularity has since grown, especially among children eager to discover the hidden treasures inside the cake.

在加泰罗尼亚，“tortell de Reis”传统在 20 世纪初才兴起，但此后其受欢迎程度不断增长，尤其是在渴望发现蛋糕内隐藏宝藏的孩子们中。