The History of Roscòn de Reyes, the Spanish Epiphany Dessert That Hides a Surprise

It is called Roscón de Reyes (the Three Kings' donut) and there is no Spanish family that does not prepare and eat it on the occasion of the arrival of the Three Kings, on the day of the Epiphany, also called "el día de los Reyes". It is a leavened donut that is very simple to prepare  and has a fragrant taste, that smells of orange blossoms and is decorated on the surface like a real crown, with candied fruit, granulated sugar and flaked almonds; it is eaten plain, soaked in milk, or cut in half and filled with a variety of creams. Its real peculiarity, however, is found inside: in fact, by tradition a surprise is inserted into the dough, a small object that makes whoever finds it "king for a day", but also a dried or ceramic bean, which forces one to pay for the dessert. Where does this singular tradition come from? It is a sort of gastronomic game that was consolidated in the sixteenth century, but which has its origins much further back in the centuries.

Origins and History of Roscòn de Reyes

The Roscòn de Reyes as it is known and prepared today is a tradition from the sixteenth century, but in reality this type of gastronomic game has a much older origin that dates back to Roman times. In particular, it is linked to the Saturnalia, the great celebrations that took place between the 17th and 23rd of December in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture: they coincided with the winter solstice, the end of the darkest days of the year and the return of light. Among the many ways in which the Romans celebrated the event there were various dishes, in particular a sweet round cake in which a dried broad bean was hidden: whoever found it, for a day, was crowned the "king of the party". Later, together with the broad bean, a bean began to be hidden as a symbol of prosperity and fertility: whoever found it would enjoy good luck for the rest of the year.

The Roscòn de Reyes owes a lot to that first dessert from ancient Rome, a tradition that was then consolidated in the noble courts of Europe in the sixteenth century. According to Juan. H. Sampelayo, in his book ‘Gastronomía española‘, the dessert with its secret treasure inside became a must at the French court of Henry III, between 1574 and 1589. It seems, in fact, that the royal pastry chefs used to bake an enormous donut and hide a dried bean inside it: whoever found it during the meal would become King and could give "orders to ministers and advice to ambassadors".

In France, the cake was called galette des rois or kings' cake (it is still eaten today in French-speaking countries on the occasion of the Epiphany), then it began to travel from one court to another until it arrived directly on the table of the first Bourbon King, Philip V in the 18th century and from him to the other Spanish kings, transforming into the Roscòn de Reyes. The tradition of the cake with a surprise has survived to the present day, although the meanings of the gifts found inside have varied: today it is customary to include a small object, a small game or a jewel similar to those found in chocolate eggs. Whoever cuts a slice of Roscón and finds the surprise becomes the "king of the party" and has the right to put a cardboard crown on his head that is provided as a gift with this cake (if purchased and not prepared at home). And the broad bean? It continues to be there, but it no longer has a positive meaning: today, whoever finds it has to pay for the Roscón.