Surprising and tasty, the Bigourdan Pin Cake has not finished to titillate the taste buds of gourmets, from France to Holland or even Japan.
In the Hautes-Pyrenees in France, you are not attending a wedding, baptism or communion without sharing the spectacular Bigourdan Pin Cake.
The Bigourdans, who call it ”rock of the Pyrenees” or “Pic Bigourdan” consider this pyramid studded with golden peaks of dough as one of the jewels of their gastronomy… as the inhabitants of the Rouergue, Quercy and Cantal!
In fact, if the origin of the pin cake is discussed, we know that it exists in Central Europe for centuries, especially in Germany (“Baumkuchen”), Poland (“pankuchen”) and Hungary (“kürtöskalàcs ”). It would have been exported to other European countries (Lithuania, Sweden, Luxembourg …) and brought to France by Napoleon’s armies, taking with him its strong identity dimension.
It was immediately adopted by the rural population of the Pyrenees in France, where he remains a home-made and artisan affair. This is a festive cake that is reserved for special occasions, as a mountain “wedding cake”.
In the village of Arreau, in the Aure valley, a fraternity was founded in its honor. Each summer, the fraternity celebrate this cake through demonstrations.
(next page: The Bigourdan Pin Cake: an Original Cooking Recipe)
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
This looks like a very interesting cake to attempt. It can be a lot of fun to try out the more radical recipes that are available, especially for special occasions like holiday family gathers and office parties.
Amazing! How does it taste?
hello, how spent the summer?
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