The Easter Mona: A Symbol of Joy and Sweetness
As Easter Monday approaches, the bakeries of Sant Feliu transform into a paradise of delights, displaying an impressive variety of Monas de Pascua, a traditional cake that represents the joy and sweetness of this holiday.
According to tradition, godparents present their godchildren with a cake made with a sweet brioche, initially without chocolate, decorated with boiled eggs. However, in recent years, the incorporation of chocolate in the form of eggs or figures has revolutionized the monkey market.
Currently, numerous monkeys are made entirely with chocolate, offering a wide range of shapes and flavors, and some even incorporate additional elements such as drawings printed on their chocolate structures.
A Tour of the Pastry Shops of Sant Feliu
To find out the trends in the sale of monkeys, we delve into the pastry shops of Sant Feliu.
At the Joan de Mas Lluí Pastry Shop, they inform us that traditional monas continue to be the most popular, although they highlight a decrease in prices compared to the previous year. In addition, chocolate cakes with Pokémon drawings are gaining ground.
Along the same lines, the Can Plana Pastry Shop also highlights the Pokémon figures, although they claim that the traditional mona, spherical in shape and made with butter and chocolate eggs, continues to be the best seller.
The 52 Momentos Cafeteria, located on Vidal and Ribas streets, agrees in terms of the best-selling monkey, although they point out that traditional monkeys in smaller formats are gaining popularity.
In Eva’s Pantry, the most successful monkeys are those that incorporate characters from the manga and anime series Dragon Ball, such as Son Goku. The establishment highlights that this year’s revelation has been Bluey the dog, and that sales have increased compared to the previous year.
Pastelería Mas Tres confirms the Bluey phenomenon and adds among the best sellers the cute ones of the Pokémon character, Pikachu.
Trends beyond Cartoons
Beyond the cartoon monkeys, some trends remain, such as the Barça monkeys. At the Chocolat-Box confectionery in Mas Lluí, the best sellers are the monkey with the Blaugrana team shield, the three-chocolate boot figure and the soccer ball monkey, both made only with chocolate.
The Preferences of the Santfeliuencs
To find out the preferences of Santfeliuencs, we interviewed several citizens.
Half of those interviewed acknowledge that they previously bought the traditional mona, but for some time now they have opted for the chocolate monas, made only with chocolate without brioche. Among the reasons given, the novelty or the choice of their godchildren stand out.
However, a significant part of those surveyed affirm that they continue buying the butter monkey with chocolate eggs.
Some santfeliuencs choose to make their own monas from a homemade cake, as it allows them to personalize them and save costs.
Finally, a smaller group declares that they only buy chocolate figures, such as large eggs, hens or chicks, to share.