La Covrigaria Sfânt, the Romanian bretzels that are a hit in Malasaña
when one thinks of Transylvania there is no doubt that the first thing that comes to mind is the abominable Vlad Tepes, the impaler or Dracula for friends , who became an even more chilling character at the hands of bram stoker . In the city of bran , he dominates the silhouette of that castle that many do not even want to approach and that would make the most skeptical skin crawl. Not surprisingly, it has become the biggest attraction in the area and in Romania itself.
Leaving aside legends and stories of vampires, What would you know how to tell us about Romanian gastronomy? We are talking about a mosaic of cultures, an amalgamation of influences from here and there, with shades of Hungarian, Balkan, German and even Mediterranean cuisine . What you may not have known either is that one of the most popular snacks in the country is the covrig , a kind of extremely delicious bretzel.
The time has come to try it, because Malasana released just a few months ago Sfant , a bakery -o covrigaria - dedicated to this and other Romanian breads and sweets that has become quite a sensation. You want to know more?
WHAT DOES A SITE LIKE SFÂNT DO IN A PLACE LIKE THIS?
The protagonists of this story have nothing to do with scary stories. They are Carolina Comas and Diego de Anna . before riding The Covrigaria , this couple was dedicated to the world of advertising and worked in an event and technology promoter. “Every year we went to Romania, to a city called sibiu . There we set up a dome in the main square for the immersive part of Astra Film Festival, the oldest documentary festival in Europe ”, Caroline tells us.
“It is a beautiful medieval city at the foot of the Carpathians. After traveling there for years we fell in love with the whole of Romania, with Transylvania and, more specifically, with Sibiu”, she explains. It was here that they met this type of business. “There are some small bakeries there, that are nothing more than a window on the street , where the customer does not enter and that sell the covrig and other types of breads and rolls. They freaked us out”, says Carolina. They always had in mind to bring this type of bakery, but they never took the step.
The Covrigaria
Then March arrived and with it the pandemic, which meant that they did not organize any event, but they confess that they do not know how to sit still and this was the push they needed to set out to set up their own covrigaria . In just one day they found the place, a slip in the same Holy Spirit in the heart of Malasaña and, within 15 days, they had set up the bakery. To materialize your dream, used the Sfânt family, a creation of their own , who presides over the premises and who have become almost a legend, in which the recipe for the perfect covrig passed from Nicoleta, the matriarch of the family that she was in charge of teaching the recipe to her husband Ionesco , to their daughters Petronela, Oionella and Cosmina and the little one of the saga, vasile.
The legend on their website tells that “they explained that the 'brezel' represented the arms of a child praying. Devoted as Nicoleta was, she taught her husband how to make the muffins who modified the recipe by submerging them in water boiling before baking , giving them a peculiar flavor that differentiated covrigi (plural covrig) from German bretzels.”
The Sfant family
Now a huge photo of the Sfânt family presides over the space, but soon they will make a symbiosis between both worlds , that of the traditional bakery and their training as publicists, to turn it into a mapping with the faces of the family, movement and colors, as well as other visual shows by guest artists, who will light up the covrigaria at night.
THE COVRIG, ROMANIAN BRETZEL AND MUCH MORE
This is how the covrig was born, a bretzel that is nothing more than a circular piece of bread, sprinkled with seeds, usually sesame or poppy. “ We tried many versions of recipes until we found the one we have today . Unlike in Germany, where the pretzel is boiled with lye before baking, in Romania it is made with baking soda and it is the way we prepare them ”, says Caroline.
In his workshop and store, which coexist in the same space, one can be stunned looking how busy Romanian bakers knead and bake everything that is displayed in their windows . The covrig It is the center of its production and there are sweet and savory ones. From the covrig with poppy or sesame seeds, to the one that incorporates sunflower seeds, cheese or pesto, as well as sweet recipes with chocolate or cream.
They have been a success and the clients do not stop arriving . But it is not the only thing they offer. On the Romanian side, the cozonac : “It is usually prepared at parties in Romania, but given the success it has had, we have incorporated it into our offer. It's kind of braided and baked panettone , which inside has a paste of cocoa, nuts and raisins”, they explain. He too branzoaice , a milk bun filled with a cheese very similar to ricotta, which they make themselves in an artisanal way.
Given its origin from Uruguay and Argentina, a mix with other products comes out of his workshop . From quiche caprese, chicken curry or with ham and cheese, to apple strudel, cinnamon braids and fondant and poppy shells. Without forgetting a delirious sweet part , which ranges from a lemon poppy tart to a chocolate and peanut butter based cheesecake, going through a fantastic Argentine chocotorta . "The covrig It was a way of differentiating ourselves from other bakeries. we also do Seed bread, protein bread, rye bread, walnut or spelled loaves and some Romanian breads such as korn quadrat . All very good”, finishes Carolina. Ready to have the most delicious bretzel in Romania?
La Covrigaria Sfânt, the Romanian bretzels that are a hit in Malasaña
Address: Holy Spirit, 10. Madrid See map
Telephone: 644 46 51 41