Roscos

The rosco is the sweet that keeps Almería's calendar: the same ring of olive-oil dough smells of wine in December, and of aniseed or orange when Holy Week arrives, bringing "all kinds of roscos, from orange or wine ones to those fried in the pan". In Serón the recipe is counted in spoonfuls: for each egg, three of sugar, three of oil and three of moscatel wine, with flour, yeast, lemon zest and cinnamon, and the just-fried roscos are rolled in cinnamon sugar — which is when they are at their best.

Every district names them its own way: aniseed rosquillos and roscos de Pascua in Cuevas del Almanzora, aguardiente and orange roscos in the Almanzora valley and Los Vélez, aniseed and wine in Mojácar; in Purchena, Holy Week comes down to borrachos, buñuelos and fried roscos.

Those who don't fry at home have places to turn to: Productos Pichote in Rioja, part of Sabores Almería, with orange, aniseed and fried roscos made with extra virgin olive oil; Productos CAMP, in Fondón since 1953, with wine, aniseed and hazelnut ones; Productos Dicel in Alhama de Almería with aniseed roscos, and the Pastelería Ángel in Albox with orange, aniseed and wine. A mixed box settles the after-lunch table of any fiesta.