If you're planning a trip to Madrid in mid-May, you'll find yourself in the midst of the Comunidad’s patron saint fiestas, San Isidro Labrador. To clear up any confusion about the canine sounding name, the verb “labrar” means “to work the land”. San Isidro is patron saint to farmers, labourers and anyone engaged in the agricultural sector.
A little about the saint
San Isidro was a humble farmer who lived on the estate of Juan de Vergara in the 12th century. He was a devout man who has had many miracles attributed to him. He was married to Maria Torribia, (also known as Santa Maria de la Cabeza) who bore him a son named Illan. One of the miracles occurs when their son falls down a well. Not knowing what to do, they pray. Miraculously, the well fills up with water, bringing baby Illan with it. In gratitude, the parents swear to a life of sexual abstinence, going as far as to live in different homes. With a sad touch of irony, the son is said to have later died in infancy. Various other miracles associated with San Isidro also involve water and as a result, many of the faithful seek fountains and springs connected to the saint to cure health problems.
The fiestas in Madrid
The streets of Madrid and towns throughout the region celebrate their saint with a gusto typical of Spain. There are week-long concerts and activities throughout the city and many Madrileños dress up as chulapas and chulapos in traditional working class Madrileño costume. Families head on over to San Isidro Park for picnics, or a short pilgrimage to the hermitage. They visit rides and fairgrounds set up around the suburbs, participate in Mass, watch fireworks in Retiro Park, dance the chotis and, above all, eat.
The food of San Isidro
Many of Madrid’s most popular dishes are eaten during the fiestas of San Isidro, such as:
Tortilla (potato omelette)
Cocido (chickpea and pork stew)
Bocadillos de calamares (calamari rolls)
Churros (fried dough)
Other treats make an appearance during this time such as:
Rosquillas (a biscuit-like donut)
Barquillos (a cylindrical light biscuit wafer).
Barquillos and the barquillero
This is a typical sweet eaten at San Isidro and dates back to the monks who made them in monasteries during the Middle Ages. The hollow cylindrical biscuit is made of sugar, flour and egg whites that melts in the mouth - if made well. The nicer ones are dipped in chocolate. The barquilleros who peddle them on the streets are dressed as chulapos, in the elegant black, grey and white suit and cap. A roulette wheel determines how many barquillos you have won. If you are with a group, the one with the lowest number pays for the wafers. If alone, you pay an amount and try your luck on the spins.
White wine sangria is a popular drink during San Isidro, made from white wine, lemon, sugar and chopped fruit served with plenty of refreshing ice cubes.
Other regions, such as Andalusia, also celebrate San Isidro in honour of the saint’s connection to the land and its produce. It’s probably no coincidence that the fiestas coincide with spring as many of the elements relate to the season, such as eggs and new growth.
La Gran Huevada of Villafranca de Cordoba
In the small town of Villafranca de Cordoba, the egg is the protagonist during the Gran Huevada. In the week leading up to the 15th May, there are parades of flamenco outfits, music, games and a marranada (roast pig). There are children’s plays, a procession with the Chiquito (small statue of San Isidro on a float), pilgrimages to the hermitage of the saint, dancing, singing and finally, an egg party.
Brainchild of Antonio Perez Porras, secretary of the Villafranco local agrarian chamber of Cordoba in 1982, the egg party consists of 20,000 eggs fried in the region’s best olive oil and served with 7000 bread rolls and 6000 glasses of Mantilla-Moriles wine.
On the 14th May, on the eve of San Isidro, the residents begin the evening with a Mass in honour of the saint, followed by a procession, an offering of flowers by the children, and they finish the night with the Gran Huevada at 11.00pm – a civilised hour for dinner during fiestas. The city council sets up long tables around the huge paella-style frypans where eggs are broken into simmering olive oil. They float and fry quickly, then are scooped up, still glistening, onto waiting plates.
Estepona, Malaga
Other towns around Andalusia also celebrate San Isidro, such as Estepona, on the Costa del Sol. There they give thanks to the saint with processions through the fields, and agricultural trade shows. There are tasting competitions of their signature dish, sopa campera, made of bread, peas, onions and peppers. There are horse riding exhibitions as well as axe and chainsaw handling, all highlighting the important skills of people engaged in the agricultural industry.
Pozoblanco, Cordoba
In Pozoblanco, the women of the town make dolls from flammable materials which are then burned in honour of San Isidro. The tradition echoes that of the Fallas of Valencia, as an act of purification and new beginnings.
Besides Andalusia, towns within the region of Castilla la Mancha also celebrate the day of San Isidro, especially places where agriculture has played an important part in the local economy. And wherever there’s a strong tradition of agriculture, there’s sure to be a strong tradition of amazing cuisine.