Rosquillas de San Isidro are Madrid's May ring biscuits, sweet and lemon-glazed (listas) or matte and aniseed (tontas), eaten during the San Isidro patron-saint festival each 15 May.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
Rosquillas de San Isidro descend from the medieval Castilian rosquilla tradition, with the Madrid version becoming canonical in the 18th century. Four types exist: tontas (matte, aniseed), listas (lemon-glazed), de Santa Clara (white meringue) and francesas (sugar-dusted). The biscuits appear in Madrid bakeries from late April through mid-May, peaking on May 15, the feast of San Isidro Labrador (the city's patron saint). The Pradera de San Isidro picnic on May 15 still draws thousands of locals carrying boxes of rosquillas, tortilla, empanada and a bottle of Valdepenas. La Mallorquina on Puerta del Sol and Horno de San Onofre near Gran Via produce the city's reference rosquillas; boxes sell from 10 to 14 euros.
Common allergens: Gluten, Egg, Dairy
Tip from the editors. The two-types tradition splits a batch into half-glazed (listas) and half-plain (tontas). Use proper Spanish anisado (Anis del Mono or Chinchon) for the canonical flavour; ouzo is a passable substitute.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
La Mallorquina on Puerta del Sol in Madrid has sold the napolitana de crema (custard-filled puff pastry) since 1894. The 19th-century counter still queues out the door every morning.
Tip: Walk-in only; the counter fills up by 09:30. Cash strongly preferred at the counter. The upstairs cafe takes seated customers.
Worth the queue: Napolitana de crema
Horno de San Onofre in Madrid's Gran Via is the 1972-founded panaderia and pasteleria with the canonical rosquillas de San Isidro (May festival ring biscuits) and a daily-changing fresh-bread counter.
Tip: Closed Sundays. The rosquillas de San Isidro (10 euros per box) appear from late April to early June.
Worth the queue: Rosquillas de San Isidro
Antigua Pasteleria del Pozo in Madrid is the 1830-founded pastry shop with the city's oldest sweet-pastry counter, the pastel ruso, and the wood-and-marble shopfront preserved since the 19th century.
Tip: Closed weekends. Cash preferred. The pastel ruso (3 euros) and the rosquillas tontas y listas are the headlines.
Worth the queue: Pastel ruso
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