Where does the tradition of eating roscón de Reyes come from?

Origin of the roscón de Reyes: the Roman Empire

Although there are those who believe that the tradition of eating the roscón de Reyes dates back to a few centuries ago, the truth is that it was born in the second century BC, more than 2,000 years ago . In the middle of December the work in the fields finished, and the Romans celebrated what are known as ‘Saturnalia’, a festival in homage to Saturn, god of agriculture. The festivities lasted for several weeks, and one of the main traditions was to make a honey-based cake, stuffed with figs, nuts and dates.

As early as the 3rd century AD, the  broad bean was introduced. However, back then it had a very different meaning than it does today. The bean was considered a symbol of prosperity and fortune, so that whoever found it would have good luck throughout the year.

When Christianity was imposed as the official religion in the Roman Empire, pagan celebrations such as the ‘Saturnalia’ gradually disappeared. In many places the custom of eating honey cake was lost, but in France it became a great tradition among royalty and aristocracy.

The gold coin as a surprise in the roscón de Reyes

The broad bean continued to be the main protagonist when it came to eating the roscón de Reyes. The families of the French high aristocracy gathered to taste the sweet, and see who got the bean. For this reason, the celebration took the name of ‘the King of the Bean’ .

In the 18th century, the tradition changed completely at the hands of King Louis XV ‘s cook. To surprise the monarch, the cook decided to insert a gold coin into the roscón, although there are some theories that suggest that it was really a ruby ​​and gold medallion. As is logical, from that moment the currency became more valuable than the bean.

In Spain, it was Felipe V who introduced the custom of introducing a coin as a prize in the roscón de Reyes and a bean as punishment. Over the years, the coin was exchanged for a ceramic figure , and it was imposed that whoever got the bean had to pay for dessert. In addition, the latter is called ‘the fool with the bean’, which later gave rise to the insult ‘tontolaba’.

The main curiosities of the roscón de Reyes

The roscón de Reyes may seem like a dessert without more, but the truth is that around it there is a wide range of curiosities that are worth knowing.

1. Candied fruit was not part of the original recipe. It was a dry bun to which white sugar was added on top. In Spain, cream filling became very popular in the 1960s. Now it is the great favorite of our country, and it is estimated that more than 80% of the roscones de Reyes that are eaten on January 6 are cream.
2. In Spain, the first pastry shop that started selling this sweet was ‘La Mallorquina’, in Puerta del Sol in Madrid. He did it in the year 1868.
3. Although there is a tendency to think that the day of the Three Kings of the East is only celebrated in Spain, the truth is that the tradition also exists in other countries. The roscón is also very popular in Colombia and Mexico.
4. The fact that a person touches a ceramic figure in the roscón de Reyes is considered a symbol of good luck. But there are roscones that hide much more succulent surprises. A chain of pastry shops hid a diamond a few years ago , and a confectionery shop in León every Christmas hides a check for several thousand euros in one of its own.
5. There are many who wonder what the piece of green fruit really is. Well, this is dyed pumpkin .

Today is one of the most special days of the whole year. Although the anti-COVID measures imposed by the autonomous communities are very restrictive on the number of people who can gather, everything possible must be done to feel loved ones close, even if it is in the distance.