Marraqueta

Marraqueta

The Marraqueta bread can be divided into four pieces with the hands.
Alternative names Pan francés (French bread), pan batido (“whipped bread”)
Type Bread
Place of origin Chile
Creator French immigrants in Chile
Main ingredients Flour, salt, water, leavening agent
Food energy
(per serving)
 1 unit (two quarters): 267 calories for 100 grms. kcal
Cookbook:Marraqueta  Marraqueta

The marraqueta (also called pan francés (“French bread”) in the south of Chile and pan batido (“whipped bread”) in the Valparaíso Region), is a soft bread made with flour, salt, water and yeast. It has a crunchy texture,[1] and is mostly eaten in Chile, Bolivia and Peru but can also be found in Argentina and Uruguay.

Currently marraqueta is the most consumed type of bread in Chile and is used as toast,[2] in sandwiches and as a binder for certain recipes such as pastel de carne (meatloaf). It is widely considered the quintessential Chilean staple food.[3]

History

Many historians agree that the marraqueta first originated in Valparaíso, Chile in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when major Chilean ports such as Valparaíso and Talcahuano received thousands of European immigrants. The story goes the bread was invented by two French baker brothers in Valparaíso whose last name was Marraquette, and the bread went on to became very popular among Chileans in a very short time.[4] This story would explain both the marraqueta and pan francés names.

An alternative theory of the bread’s origin was proposed by French naturalist and botanist Claude Gay, who suggested that marraqueta was first eaten in Chile in the 18th century.[5]

Ingredients and preparation

Marraqueta is made from flour, water, yeast and salt. It does not contain fat and the proofing process takes longer than other breads. The unusual form of the four buns allows to be divided it very easily.

References

  1. ↑ "Panes del Mundo. Tradicional Marraqueta". Magazine del Pan. Retrieved 2007.
  2. ↑ Once: A guide to Chile’s oddly-named evening snack www.thisischile.cl Monday, February 06, 2012 retrieved October 08, 2013
  3. ↑ Panes del Mundo - Tradicional Marraqueta www.magazinedelpan.com June 06, 2005, retrieved July 29, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Panes del Mundo. Tradicional Marraqueta". Venezuela: Magazine del Pan. 2005. Retrieved 2007.
  5. ↑ Claudio Gay, Historia fisica y politica de Chile segun documentos adquiridos en esta republica durante doce años de residencia en ella y publicada bajo los auspicios del supremo gobierno

See also