Saint Martin’s croissants – a sweet and calorific symbol of Poznań.

Where does this tradition come from, what does the croissant certificate mean and how do Poznań baked goods conquer the world? In today’s article, we have collected a handful of sweet curiosities!

The croissant tradition is said to have originated in pagan times, when dough wrapped in animal horns was sacrificed to the gods. Later, the Latin Church is said to have adopted this custom, linking it with the figure of St Martin. However, it has only been since the second half of the 19th century that we can speak of baking reminiscent of today’s, and the first known advertisement for croissants has even been preserved in the pages of ‘Dziennik Poznański’ from 1860.

According to one of the city’s legends, the current tradition, which explicitly links baking with 11 November, originated in 1891 thanks to a Poznań-based confectioner, Józef Melzer. When St Martin’s Day was approaching, one of the priests appealed to the faithful to follow the example of his patron and do something for the poor. The confectioner decided to persuade his boss to distribute croissants, which were then considered a luxury good, to the poor of Poznań.

It was confectioners who, in the following turbulent decades, cultivated the croissant tradition, saving it from oblivion. Over time, their taste has changed somewhat, since, due to a shortage of supplies after World War II, the almond filling was replaced by a white poppy-seed filling. Today, in Poznań, we can buy certified ‘rogale świętomarciński’ in dozens of pastry shops, where they are usually available all year round.

A croissant is not the same as a croissant

This is where it gets rather interesting, because not every croissant with a poppy-seed filling can be called a ‘świętomarciński’. What’s more, the real ‘rogal świętomarciński’ can only be baked in Poznań and designated districts of Wielkopolska, and no one outside this area is allowed to use this name. This is due to the bakery’s certificate of ‘Protected Designation of Origin in the European Union’, thanks to which it has made it onto the prestigious list of regional specialities. They are made from local raw materials, using an original recipe and in accordance with ecological principles.

This is not the end of the winding road these delicious pastries have to travel before they find their way into our bellies, and it is not the only requirement the original croissant must meet. In order for a Wielkopolska pastry shop to use the name ‘rogal świętomarciński’, it must obtain a certificate from the Poznań Chapter of the Traditional ‘rogal świętomarciński’, which quite clearly specifies the product’s ingredients:

• a margarine-based half puff pastry,
• a filling made from white poppy seeds with sugar, sponge cake crumbs, egg mass, margarine, nuts, sultanas, fruit in syrup or candied fruit (cherries, pears, orange peel) and almond flavouring,
• the method of rolling up the dough (in the shape of a horseshoe) and layering the poppy-seed filling (between the layers of dough) and decorating with fondant and crushed nuts,
• weight between 150 and 250 g.

Some confectioners use butter in their baking, arguing that it improves the quality and taste of the baked goods and is traditional,

Nutritional and calorific values of croissants

Looking at the composition of the croissant, one can easily guess that it is unlikely to find its way onto the menu of the slimming diet, which is a pity What’s more, a large one, weighing 250 grams, may have even… 1200 calories!

We can, of course, try to spell reality by mentioning the nutritional value of individual ingredients. White poppy seeds are a source of vitamins A, C, E, D and B vitamins and minerals like magnesium, potassium and iron. Almonds are a great source of unsaturated fatty acids, sultanas have a lot of dietary fibre and walnuts are one of the best sources of antioxidants.

At this point, it should also be mentioned that Fitatu.com comes from Poznań, so as native Poznań citizens we will not discourage anyone from trying our local specialty. When visiting the capital of Wielkopolska, it is really worth visiting a pastry shop and asking for a certified croissant.

Poznań croissants conquer the world

An obligatory point on the map of Poznań attractions, since 2014, is the Rogalowe Museum located in the Poznań Old Town. A place where you can actively participate in a demonstration of the production of the now legendary croissants, but also learn something about Poznań’s dialect, culture and traditions. It’s a real treat for gourmands and others, see for yourself: https://youtu.be/uAiIzhgoVNU

This year, due to a number of restrictions, the traditional Saint Marcin Street Name Day parade, one of the city’s main thoroughfares, will unfortunately not take place. In previous years, it was accompanied by many attractions for both young and old, including a free croissant for every Martin who showed his ID.

However, the fame of the ‘rogal świętomarciński’ has long since spread beyond the city’s borders; it is no coincidence that culinary tourists attracted by the local delicacy are increasingly frequent in Poznań. The owners of the Lech Poznań football club are also responsible for promoting the croissant, as in previous years they presented the baked goods to the inhabitants of Białystok, among others. This year, Lech’s on-field rivals from Scotland had the opportunity to taste the Saint Martin’s croissants: www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1302024543465683

Recipe for ‘rogal świętomarciński

At the very end we have for you a recipe for traditional poznański ulepki, but to make it not too easy it is written in the poznańska dialect, by Juliusz Kubel

What you need to do now that you have everything right

• Sift the flour through the small holes, add the margarine to it, but let it melt smoothly, then add the young people, the margarine, the milk and the egg. Mix everything together, knead and knead it, and finally roll it flat into pieces and lay them out.
  
  
• Roll one such liquid over the margarine and cover it like a lid over the other one. Now roll it again to make it smooth, then fold it three times, roll it again, fold it again, and roll it again. Put it in a cool place for half an hour.
  
  
• Now to deal with this for stuffing. So this is how: Finely chop the nuts and pears, scald the poppy seeds and grind them in a food processor. Mash the poppy seeds together with the butter, the parfait and the rest, and finally add the whisked egg whites.
  
  
• Now the cooled dough again. Separate everything into 4 pieces separately. Now with a rolling pin again, but in such a way that you make right-angled floats. From this make as many triangles as you can. At the end, squeeze a pinch of filling on the middle of each one.
  
  
• Now, one by one, roll up these triangular croissants, fold the corners at the sides into a wedge, and when ready, place these croissants on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Put all this in the oven at 200 degrees and bake until golden brown. After taking them out pour the icing made of fine margarine and freshly boiled water, and finally squeeze the nuts on top to taste.
  And baste everything with taste!!!

You can find the list of ingredients and the source of our recipe here: https://www.poznan.pl/przepis-na-rogala-swietomarcinskiego-pisany-gwara-poznanska.

Be sure to let us know if you had a chance to try our local speciality and, above all, if you enjoyed it!

And if you want to include it in your menu, use the Fitatu application. In Fitatu you can check how many calories from the daily limit you have left after eating it. More information about Fitatu can be found at: https://www.fitatu.com