It is thought to have been derived from Arabic origins, however it was part of a morbid culinary ritual used by the Aztecs. What is it, how is it prevalent as part of Baroque architecture in a certain Spanish speaking region, and which festival does it play an important part in?

lanfranco

Well, at first I thought this might be amaranth seeds, molded by the Aztecs into figures of gods, which were then eaten. (Spanish priests turned that little custom into the Eucharist). However, amaranth doesn't meet all the criteria. So, the best I can do is suggest that this is alfenique, a white sugar paste apparently used in Islamic cuisine and now in Mexican. The candy skulls and skeletons for the "Day of the Dead" festival are made of it, and the festival itself has Aztec origins. (The priests fooled around with that, too.) In addition, a type of white stucco decoration found on elaborate, 18th-century Spanish Baroque architecture is called "alfenique." Here's a site concerning the connection between Islamic and Mexican cuisine that mentions alfenique: http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200403/the.mexican.kitchen.s.islamic.connection.htm Jul 10 06, 3:55 PM

peasypod

Nice One Frankie, alfenique is exactly what I was after. Puebla being the origin of this candy made from egg whites and sugar. http://www.guanajuatocapital.com/ingles/IDmuer2.htm Jul 10 06, 5:26 PM