El Roscón de Reyes

 El Roscón de Reyes or King Cake

 Tonight, 5th of January,  is Noche de Reyes, or the evening when the Three Kings,  Los Reyes Magos or Wise Men arrive from the Orient on camels (or helicopters or boats) to bring Christmas gifts to Spanish children.  Throughout the country there will be parades where the kings accompany their loads of colourful boxes, waving and throwing sweets to the children from atop a camel or decorated float.

And this evening or tomorrow's holiday of Epiphany will see the appearance on many tables of the ROSCÓN DE REYES, or King Cake, traditionally served on this day. Often split and served with a custard or whipped cream filling, the cake contains two surprises, a dried bean (haba) and a small ceramic figure of a king.  Whoever finds the bean in their piece of cake is obliged to pay for the roscón and the person who finds the king will be as lucky as a king in the coming year.   Here is the saying in Spanish:

"Si es el haba lo encontrado este postre pagarás, mas si ello es la figura coronado y Rey serás."

I bought my roscón at the bakery this afternoon.  

It is so special that it came in a beautiful gold box.

And I have to admit that I couldn't wait....and already had a piece!   

And I found the little ceramic king - it was Balthasar, from Egypt (or Ethiopia so they say.)

 I'll hide him back inside the cake so there will be again a lucky surprise for who has the next piece of cake!