In 1988, Eduard Crespo, from Fleca Balmes, created one of the most relevant gastronomic symbols of April in Barcelona, the Sant Jordi bread. Not all contemporary recipes are so successful: often, attempts to incorporate them into popular culture end in failure, as demonstrated by the extravagant Iberian ham and asparagus rose or the Sant Jordi cake, a book-shaped sponge cake with reminiscences of the gypsy's arm (should we perhaps change the name of this dessert?) which has uneven success.
An authentic gastronomic artist, Crespo also made sculptures with different breads. In fact, he devised the pieces that illustrated the covers of the complete works of Camilo José Cela, another great gastronome who, as a curiosity, was born in the town where Padrón peppers originate. At the request of the Gremi de Flequers de Barcelona, Crespo spent two years doing tests to achieve what he had in mind: a savory piece, without colorings or preservatives, that avoided molds to adapt to the needs of any bakery.
His was, then, a recipe with global aspirations and, in a way, a great local marketing product. Once invented, he himself dedicated himself to visiting bakeries in the city to teach them how to make Sant Jordi bread correctly. A pioneer, in a way, of the Bullinian idea that recipes should be shared as much as possible and not kept in private drawers, as Lucien Oliver had done with the Russian salad or Louis Durand with the Paris-Brest cake. And a precursor, without a doubt, of the signature dishes Catalan.
At the request of the Gremi de Flequers de Barcelona, Crespo spent two years doing tests to achieve what he had in mind: a savory piece, without colorings or preservativesToday, this piece has become so integrated into local culture that there is even a competition in mid-April where the best Sant Jordi bread of the year is chosen, and thanks to which Emili Feliu, from Forn Sant Josep, achieved long queues in front of his establishment last year (gastronomic competitions, another great marketing lesson!). The only condition to participate is to be a baker and follow the original recipe of three doughs: cheese, sobrasada, and walnuts. Something that explains, by the way, why most Sant Jordi breads are similar.
Let's focus on this matter of the three doughs for a moment: the cheese one, in the original recipe, is made with French Emmental, an ingredient that also has a very curious history, since, in reality, it is an imitation of another cheese. The true Emmental is not called that, but Emmentaler, because it comes from the Emme valley in Switzerland. The French, as clever as they come, adapted it and exported it to the world, cutting the three letters of its protected designation of origin (AOP) and confusing foodies everywhere.
This original Emmentaler, the one from Bern, will also be very present at this year's Sant Jordi, as ten restaurants in the city have prepared some tapas that they will serve along with a rose. There are beef bikinis (La Tartarería), cecina croquettes (Thonet), panipuris (Deliri), cannelloni (Tr@mendu), fondues with prawns (Llamber), onion cappuccinos (CruiX), Milanese rice (La Esquina), macaroni with botifarra (Per Feina), green asparagus (La Gormanda) and white asparagus (Galileo). It would not be unreasonable, either, for the city's bakers to use this product from Swiss Cheeses for future Sant Jordi breads.