23RD OF APRIL: SANT JORDI(ST.GEORGE'S DAY) PATRON OF CATALONIA


Today is Sant Jordi so I will explain a bit about the Catalan tradition and an easy recipe with roses.
La Diada de Sant Jordi  Saint George's Day), also known as El dia de la Rosa (The Day of the Rose) or El dia del Llibre (The Day of the Book) is a Catalan holiday held on 23 April, with similarities to Valentine's Day and some unique twists that reflect the antiquity of the celebrations. The main event is the exchange of gifts between sweethearts, loved ones and colleagues. Historically, men gave women roses, and women gave men a book to celebrate the occasion—"a rose for love and a book forever." In modern times, the mutual exchange of books is also customary. Roses have been associated with this day since medieval times, but the giving of books is a more recent tradition originating in 1923, when a bookseller started to promote the holiday as a way to commemorate the nearly simultaneous deaths of Miguel Cervantes and William Shakespeare on 23 April 1616. Barcelona is the publishing capital of both Catalan and Spanish languages and the combination of love and literacy was quickly adopted.
In Barcelona's most visited street, La Rambla, and all over Catalonia, thousands of stands of roses and makeshift bookstalls are hastily set up for the occasion. By the end of the day, some four million roses and 800,000 books will have been purchased. Most women will carry a rose in hand, and half of the total yearly book sales in Catalonia take place on this occasion.
The sardana, the national dance of Catalonia, is performed throughout the day in the Plaça Sant Jaume in Barcelona. Many book stores and cafes host readings by authors (including 24-hour marathon readings of Cervantes' "Don Quixote"). Street performers and musicians in public squares add to the day's atmosphere.
23 April is also the only day of the year when the Palau de la Generalitat, Barcelona's principal government building, is open to the public. The interior is decorated with roses to honour Saint George.
Catalonia exported its tradition of the book and the rose to the rest of the world. In 1995, the UNESCO adopted 23 April as World Book and Copyright Day.




Today's recipe is a Rose and Lychee pannacotta.

Ingredients:
700 ml Double cream
100 ml Milk
1 vanilla pod
80 g sugar
6 gelatine leaves in cold water
50 ml rose water
70 g chopped lychees
Preparation: 
Bring to boil the cream, milk, rose water, sugar and vanilla. Place on a side and let infuse for a good half an hour. Remove the vanilla pod, warm up again and add the gelatine and lychees. Prepare a cold bain marie in a big bowl with cold water and ice cubes. Place the pan inside the cold bain marie and stir till start thickening. Place in the serving terrines, glasses, cups or glasses where you gonna serve it and put in the fridge for 3 more hours. Decorate with some fresh roses julienne or caramelised petals.

Comments

  1. This year, Sant Jordi has a culinary twist. The Union of Booksellers of Catalunya are helping promote Catalan wine, in particular D.O. Catalunya labels, through the sales of books for the holiday. They’re calling the initiative “Setmana de la Cultura i el Vi Català” (Culture and Catalan Wine Week) and here’s how it works: buy a book for Sant Jordi and get 10% off any D.O. Catalunya wine until April 29th. That’s not a very juicy discount, but hey, it might spur more people to move towards the consumption of Catalan wines.

    Contrary to what you might think, it’s not a given that Catalan people drink more local wine than other Spanish labels. In fact, in my experience it’s been just the opposite: I see more Rioja on tables in homes than anything else. You’ll sometimes get a popular D.O. Catalunya like Sangre de Toro or the stray Penedés, but amazing D.O.s like Conca de Barbera and Empordá tend to be less present. The reason? They tend to be more expensive.

    Let’s hope more initiatives like this one pop up to promote Catalan wine in Catalunya…and abroad!

    Oh, and if you’re in Barcelona and want to participate in the promotion, swing by KnowFood (map), an awesome culinary bookstore in the Grácia neighborhood and get yourself a cookbook — then buy some wine.

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  2. What a great website! - Do you have any recipes that I can credit you for on my website. I am hunting for the top 10 best recipes on the web to publish for British, Spanish, French, Greek, Itailain and American.

    Anything you have please feel free to e-mail me it over and I will review and publish if it wins.

    Pete

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