Mendiant

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Mendiant
Four mendiants: pistachio, almond, raisin and candied orange peel
TypeConfectionery
Place of originFrance
Main ingredientsbittersweet chocolate, nuts, dried fruits

A mendiant is a traditional French confection composed of a chocolate disk studded with nuts and dried fruits representing the four mendicant.[1] Each of the ingredients used refers to the color of monastic robes. Tradition dictates that raisins stand for the Augustinians, hazelnut for the Carmelites, dried fig for the Franciscans, and almond for the Dominicans.[2]

They are usually produced during Christmas.[3] The recipes for this confection have diverged from the traditional combination of nuts and fruits to incorporate seeds, fruit peels, and other items.[4][5]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Wilson, Dede (2011). Baker's Field Guide to Holiday Candy. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 98–99. ISBN 978-1558326279.
  2. ^ Montagné, Prosper (1988). Lang, Jenifer Harvey (ed.). Larousse Gastronomique: The New American Edition of the World's Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia. New York: Crown Publishers. p. 617. ISBN 0-517-57032-7. OCLC 17478288.
  3. ^ Guthrie, Katharine Blanche (1877). My Year in an Indian Fort. Vol. 1. London: Hurst and Blackett. p. 313.
  4. ^ Salvatore, Drew Anne Salvatore (18 October 2019). "What Is a Mendiant? Everything You Need to Know About the Chocolate Treat". Good Housekeeping. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  5. ^ Stevens, Tadhg Hylier (16 December 2020). "Why Is Chocolate Bark Called Bark?". Allrecipes. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2022.