- Buñuelos
Buñuelos (alternatively spelled "bimuelos", "birmuelos", "bermuelos", "burmuelos", "bunyols") are
fritters of a mainly Spanish origin. They are a popularsnack in manyLatin American countries, thePhilippines , and in some of them they are traditionally eaten atChristmas . They typically consist of a simple, wheat-basedyeast dough , often flavored withanise , that is thinly rolled, cut or shaped into individual pieces, then fried and finished off with a sweet topping. Buñuelos may be filled with a variety of things, ranging from cheese to yams.*In
Colombia they are not sweet and are made with a small curd white cheese and formed into doughy balls then fried golden brown. It is a traditionalChristmas dish , served along withnatilla .*In
Cuba they are traditionally twisted in a figure 8 and covered in ananise caramel . The dough containsyuca andmalanga .*To make Mexican buñuelos, a
yeast ed dough with a hint ofanise isdeep-fried , then drenched in a syrup ofbrown sugar ,cinnamon , andguava . Buñelos are commonly served in Mexico and otherLatin American countries withpowdered sugar , acinnamon andsugar topping, or hotsugar cane syrup ("piloncillo ") and are sold in fairs,carnivals , and Christmas events such asposadas orpastorelas .*In
Nicaragua buñuelos are made of yucca. The buñuelos are rolled into balls and deep fried and served with miel. They are eaten year-round, and are a typical side-dish or snack served during holidays.There are references to buñelos in
Majorca or inValencia ; there also buñuelos inTurkey ,India , andCuba ; buñuelos inRussia . Jews in Turkey make buñuelos with matzo meal and eat them duringPassover . They are also popular duringHanukkah .In
The Netherlands there is a similar dish called oliebollen (which simply translates into balls of oil, referring to the fact that they are prepared by deep frying), traditionally served on New Year's Eve. The dough is sweetened with vanilla extract and can contain raisins or currants. The finished product is filled with cream to form Berliner Bollen.
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