Among the typical products of La Alpujarra region are handmade sweets, many of them of Arab origin, which were expanded with the Christian repopulation by adding lard, brandy or aniseed. These sweets are known locally as dulces de arca (chest sweets) because they were transported in wooden chests on the backs of mules or donkeys to different towns for celebrations and festivals.
Traditional La Alpujarra sweets are made with top-quality ingredients such as flour, eggs, olive oil, honey, cinnamon and almonds, resulting in delicious treats that are both nutritious and healthy.
One of the most typical is soplillos, a sweet already made by the Arabs with flour, beaten eggs, almonds, sugar and almonds.
You can also find other traditional sweets such as susos, sugar cakes, fried doughnuts, pestiños (typical Christmas or Easter treats, common throughout Andalusia and other parts of Spain, made with flour dough, fried in olive oil and coated in honey), almond cakes and sponge cakes.
Honey and almond nougat, typical of Christmas, which in La Alpujarra has a distinctive flavour because, in addition to almonds, egg whites and sugar, it contains a higher proportion of honey.
Traditional mantecados (Spanish sweet, typically eaten at Christmas, made mainly with lard) made with flour, almonds, butter and sugar.
Sugar and aniseed doughnuts, flour, butter or olive oil, brandy or aniseed, beaten egg white coating, sugar.
In addition, we also find what are known as candied fruits, a combination of fruits such as pumpkin, sweet potatoes or candied pears, sugar syrup and water, which require lengthy preparation processes.
