When Steph Blog in France suggested a Christmas Blog Hop I thought what a great idea and maybe someone can share their tried and tested recipe for Bolo Rei as it originates in France!
Bolo Rei is not simply a cake but also symbol of the Christmas season in Portugal as it is in France.
The Bolo Rei (King Cake) originated in France and only arrived in Portugal during the mid-nineteenth century. It is traditionally eaten on the 25th December (Nativity) and the 6th of January (Epiphany). However, the cake is so popular that it is on sale from the end of November through to the Epiphany. The bread-like cake is round with a hole in the centre like a crown and decorated with candied fruits and nuts to symbolize the gifts offered by the Magi. The Magi were the wise men who followed the star from the east to worship baby Jesus in Bethlehem. They were later referred to by the Church, as Kings. Hence Bolo Rei.
Inside the Bolo Rei are nuts, candied and dried fruits. There is also a fava bean and according to one legend, a baker added a fava bean to the cake to settle a dispute as to which of the wise men gave the gifts to baby Jesus. The Magi who found the fava, in his slice of cake, was then selected.
One family tradition in Portugal is that who ever has the slice with the fava bean has to buy or bake next year’s cake!
I bought a bolo Rei from Lidls to present to our guests as a “taste” of Portugal. Unfortunately, nobody liked the highly colored crystallized fruits and the cake, despite having a sell by date of the 5th January, seemed stale. We were extremely disappointed as it “looked” a beautiful cake. Next year I will buy from the bakers and try again… or may even attempt to make my own!
Does anyone have a good recipe to share?
Further information courtesy of Fernanda
Many years ago… Bolo Rei was not a christmas cake, it was a cake for the new years celebrations and if you had the “fava” you had to buy another cake for the “Dia de Reis” (King’s day) on Jan 6. Today it’s a christmas cake and you have so many “varieties”, the traditional, only with dried fruits (called “Rainha”), with dried fruits, “fios de ovos” and “doce de gila” on a “squarish shape” (called “escangalhado”)
Finally DON’T buy the cake on Lidl or other supermarkets they have been done on a factory several weeks ago, look for it at your local bakery/pastelaria…
Gila or Chila is a kind of pumpkin (it’s popular in the Algarve) here you have the image http://olhares.sapo.pt/abobora-gila-foto1024651.html
Piglet in Portugal 
Quite the sweet dish. 🙂
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Hi,
I did a Christmas traditions exchange with our Portuguese for Foreigners classes and a colleague took a Bolo Rei (with candied fruit) and a Bolo Rainha (without the candied fruit but more dried fruit and gila). I loved the Bolo Rainha so much I’m going to ask where she bought it.
I have to say that I was not impressed with mince pies, although I did like the Irish Christmas cake. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted British Christmas pudding.
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Don’t worry I’ve never found a French or Portuguese person who likes mince pies…so you are not alone.
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haha, I’ve just seen this comment – I made mince pies or two different sets of French people this year (with mincemeat lovingly brought from the UK by my sister), and NONE of them liked them (though some were more polite about it than others…)! I wish I’d seen your comment beforehand as I wouldn’t have wasted my precious mincemeat!
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but then they can’t understand why I don’t like snails!
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Many years ago… Bolo Rei was not a christmas cake, it was a cake for the new years celebrations and if you had the “fava” you had to buy another cake for the “Dia de Reis” (King’s day) on Jan 6. Today it’s a christmas cake and you have so many “varieties”, the traditional, only with dried fruits (called “Rainha”), with dried fruits, “fios de ovos” and “doce de gila” on a “squarish shape” (called “escangalhado”)
Finally DON’T buy the cake on Lidl or other supermarkets they have been done on a factory several weeks ago, look for it at your local bakery/pastelaria…
Gila or Chila is a kind of pumpkin (it’s popular in the Algarve) here you have the image http://olhares.sapo.pt/abobora-gila-foto1024651.html
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When i did a patisserie class on Galette de Rois the maitre patissier told us that the galette is traditionally a brioche type cake in the south of France (so I guess that is why it has hopped accross the border into spain). The french tradition is that the feve winner becomes king for the day. The northern french galette has a frangipane centre and puff pastry outside, equally with a feve. I have to admit to preferring the northern version as I adore frangipane, and it is so moist and delicious. I always find that brioche gets a little stale quite quickly, and as unfortunately most of these cakes are made way in advance (unless you have an amazing patisserie) they can be disappointing. I will ask Arnaud (the patissier) for a genuine recipé. I do have a brioche recipe on my blog which is easy enough to make, but I don’t know if the Bolo Rei has added ingredients in the basic cake.
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Hi Frenchi and welcome.
I like the French tradition of becoming King for the day 🙂 So it seems there are regional variations as to the recipe in France.At least it’s nice to know I was not going crazy when I said there was Frangipane in the one I tasted. But it was def in Portugal as it was a free sample in one of the supermarkets here. So, seems like a I will have a couple of recipes to try…think I will have to have a cook off!
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looks yummy!
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Looks can be decptive Jacob. Never judge a book by its cover… 🙂
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You should definitely try the French recipe. My husband has made it and it is quite simple. And very very tasty!
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Hi and welcome! Pelase can you let me have his recipe to try?
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Mmmm Bolo Rei, another thing I miss about Portugal.
Feliz Natal
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Hi Steve, but it sounds like the French ones are better as they contain hmmmm frangipan
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I think it’s more about where you are eating the cake! 🙂
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I’m curious…do you prefer Portugal to France?
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Well I would, but my partner has lived in France for 12 years, she would never leave, she speaks perfect French. I do like life in France, but I miss aspects of Portuguese life, maybe because I can get by in Portuguese and my fond memories are probably best left as that.
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🙂
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You should buy your Bolo Rei at a good bakery. Some bakeries make it with more or less candied fruit too. When it is freshly made it is lovely and after a few days you can slice it, and eat it toasted with butter! I don´t think the supermarket cakes would be that good or fresh, they were probably make 6 months ago…
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Hi Sami,
HAve you ever tried Enlgish Chrismas cake?
I’ve been directed to a good bakery…now I will have to see if I can find it. Are they called Paderia?
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Interesting twist on fruit cake.
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What a lesson about Christmas cakes I have learned today! Glad I was on late 🙂 ! But being the totally savoury person I am, when I saw the first photo [I’m afraid multitasking, talking to someone at my door] I thought the pie of tomatoes, gherkins and white and brown rice very attractive – go back and take a QUICK look 😀 ! Am still laughing!
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Hey E,
Yes I can see the simialrity without my specs…but actually that may not be a bad idea to make it savoury instead of sweet!
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Love’ya 🙂 !
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It’s a shame it didn’t taste as festive as it looks. Thanks for sharing the history and introducing us to this pretty cake. 🙂
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Hi EC, I think I’ve found a recipe in a magazine…just need to translate it! that will probably take me until Christmas 🙂
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I look forward to hearing the results. I bet you’ll make it mighty tasty. 🙂
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It does look very pretty, Pip, but I’m not a fan of crystallized fruit. Much too sweet for my taste. 🙂
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Me too AD…but I’ve just found a recipe on chicas blog above so will try my own!
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I made a Roscon de Reyes loast year which is the same thing pretty much. The photos are not great, but the cake was a huge success! http://chicaandaluza.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/roscon-de-reyes-the-cake-of-kings/
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Hi Chica, love the recipe for the candied lemon peel…and my that lemon tiramsu is enough to give one a foodie orgasm!
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Hello from France, we always used to groan when our son came home from school with the feve from the galette des rois – it meant we had to find another cake to take into school the next day, in rural France this is not easy! I think this tradition is there so the shops are able to sell them until at least February! Thanks for hopping over to my blog!
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Hi Jacqui and welcome. the blog hop has proved great fun today! Think the cake tradition sounds like the same as the Panatoni from Italy!
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Congrats on finishing NaNoWriMo!!!
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Hi Didi, yep I felt as if I’d conquered Everest! Did you do it? thats NaNWriMo not Everest tht is!
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Yes you might have missed my badge – 52,650 words and it was my first time. I am pretty proud of myself. Haven’t looked at it yet but plan on rereading and rewriting 30 pages at a time starting January 2013. How about you? Are you planning on doing it next year too?
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Oh well done! Yep plan to do it next year and already have something in mind. Let’s connect as buddies next year and support each other. I don’t know what I’d have done without my buds they were so supportive 🙂
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Cool! I would love to hook up with you as a buddy. Yeah! I agree. I couldn’t have done it without my buddy eithers.
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Ah yes, I recognise the galette de roi, definitiely recommend buying it from a boulangerie for freshness, but those crystallised fruits are an acquired taste for sure.
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Hi Claire and welcome 🙂 Must confess I don’t like the highly coloured fruits so would pick those off.
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Shame about the Lidl Bolo Rei! Hope your homemade one is a success!
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Ola George and welcome. i ahve to find the recipe first…and looks like the French version is the one I like with frangipan!
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Very similar to France’s Galette des Rois (King’s Cake) filled with almond based cream called frangipane; there is also have a feve – traditionally, the youngest child present hides under the table and calls out who gets which slice as the cake is cut and whoever gets the feve is crowned King.
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OK, looks like I must get hold of the French recipe. I tried one in Portugal as a sample and it had frangipan in and it was delicious.
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The Galette des Rois really is delicious – in the UK we had a Galette party every year on/around 6 January and our friends loved it. The ‘king’ had to wear a crown all evening… The cake is really easy to make, and much much better than shop bought!! x
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It’s such a fun cultural event – enjoy!
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Hi AlpineM, I was looking at the cakes today, but resitsted the temptation to buy one. I need to find a good recipe 🙂
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I’ll check out our recipe book (it’s my husband who makes it, not me!) and post one if you like! Will let you know when it’s up x
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and it’s up (as you’ve seen!)! http://alpinemummy.wordpress.com/2013/01/03/epiphany-cake/ Enjoy!
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In Mexico, they have the “Rosca de Reyes” with a baby in it (more than one if the cake is very big. The “winner” has to buy tamales for the group at a day in February (i can never remember the day). These cakes go on sale around Christmas and I’ve even found them at some Latino stores (and Wlamarts) here in Texas!
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Hi Liese and welcome 🙂 Seems like this type of cake is popular everywhere except the UK!
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I have to say that our experience of Bolo Rei matches yours, Piglet. We didn’t like the highly dyed candy and the cake was dry – that was the Modelo version.
I’ll stick to Xmas pud – so slimming 🙂
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Hi Chip,
So continentes own is off the menu as well. I’m def going to track down the reciepe then!
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PS the Portuguese and French detest Christmas pud, Xams cake and mince pies. Well the ones we offred them to did!
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I’ve bought King’s Cake in the grocery store here in France and it was okay…not great. I think homemade is always better! I’ll be back to read more of your blog after the blog hop is over. Portugal sounds fascinating!
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Hi Evelyn and welcome, Portugal certainly has it’s moments and is so different from France…
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No Christmas cakes here, nor Christmas pudding nor sprouts! We have Christmas bread though which is just like normal bread but bigger and is called Telera.
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Christmas is not Christmas with out good old brussell sprouts
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That looks wonderful. We have le Gateau des rois on 6th Jan here, a frangipan filled cake that is divine too. Thanks for joining in the blog hop!
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I love Frangipan. Perhaps that’s where I got the idea this should ahve Frangipan in it!
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It looked yummy and reminds me a lot of the king cakes we eat in Louisiana, where I’m from. The only difference is ours doesn’t have dried fruit and it contains a platic baby. Whoever finds him is the king or queen and has to buy the cake next time. Sorry about the sell by date. Ouch!
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I was going to mention the same thing. I used to live in southern Louisiana and it reminds me of the “King Cake” served at Mardi Gras. From the photo, it looks more like fruitcake, though, because the King Cake I tried seemed more like “coffee cake.”
Pan de Pascua is big here in Chile. I’d call it a version of fruitcake. Though I’ve never been a big fan of fruitcake, I’m actually thinking of trying to make one. Don’t ask me why….I just love a challenge! haha
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Give it a go. How difficult can it really be. Everybody knows homemade is the best. Looking forward to see a pic of your cake.
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Hi did and welcome 🙂 I’d love to try cooking it but I like other people to be guineapigs 🙂 I’ve just found the recipe in the Pingo Doce magaze and naturally it’s in Portuguese. Think will have to try and translate 🙂
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You can do it but I wanna see a pic when you do.
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After NaNo it’ll be a breeze…she says hopefully
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🙂
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I have never seen it. Very interesting and yummy. 🙂
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