Xuixo

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Xuixo (pronounced shoo-shoo) is a Catalan dessert originating from the city of Girona. Dating back to the 1920s, this pastry is cylindrical-shaped and filled with the delectable crema catalana. It's probably best to describe it as a cross between a croissant and a churro, but filled with cream. The xuixo is then deep-fried and sprinkled with crystallized sugar. According to the city's lore, an acrobat named Tarlá fell in love with a pastry chef's daughter, and one day when the chef entered his bakery he heard a sneeze, leading him to Tarlá's hiding spot. The acrobat then promised to marry the chef's daughter and gave him a recipe for this special pastry, which was named after the sneeze that gave the acrobat away. Nowadays, xuixo is usually eaten for breakfast or tea, and it's so popular that there is even a xuixo parade that goes through the city's streets, and when it's finished, the participants are given a treat of fresh xuixos.