Fazuelos
Thin fried rolled pastries with Spanish and Sephardic roots.
Fazuelos—also called fijuelas, hiuelas, deblas, or hojuelas—are thin, fried rolled pastries. Their roots are in Spain, with mentions appearing as early as the late Spanish Middle Ages.
In Sephardic Jewish tradition, these pastries carry cultural weight during Purim. Their rolled shape is said to recall the form of Haman’s ears, reminiscent of Esther’s megillah. The pastry appears in Francisco Delicado’s *La Lozana Andaluza*, where a Jewish woman named Aldonza recalls making fazuelos while living in Andalusia, fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. Non-Jewish communities also make them, especially during the Christian festival of Semana Santa (Holy Week), which falls near Purim. This cross-cultural use is recorded in some Christian Spanish cookbooks as early as 1599.
In Tunisia, a similar pastry is called *oudnin el kadhi* or *wdinet el cadi*—meaning “ears of the judge” or “little ears of the judge.”
For preparation, food historian Hélène Jawhara Piñer gives a recipe in *Tablet Magazine*. The dough uses flour, eggs, sugar, and oil. It is rolled thin, cut into strips, and briefly fried. A syrup of water, orange blossom, and sugar adds flavor, and the pastries are topped with sesame seeds or icing sugar. Turkish Jews add brandy to the dough; Moroccan Jews eat them with cinnamon and syrup. They resemble Andalusian *pestiños*, though those are served with honey. In Tunisia, the dough—made from flour, eggs, oil, orange flower water, sugar, and salt—is rolled, cut into strips, dipped in hot oil, and rolled around a fork. After draining, they are coated in honey or syrup, or dusted with powdered sugar, sometimes with sesame seeds.
Quick Facts
- Main Ingredient
- Flour, eggs
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In Sephardic Jewish tradition, fazuelos hold cultural significance during Purim, their rolled form recalling the shape of Haman's ears and reminiscent of Esther's megillah. Historically, they were mentioned in Francisco Delicado's La Lozana Andaluza, where a Jewish woman named Aldonza reminisces about preparing the pastry while living in Andalusia, fleeing persecution from the Spanish Inquisition.
Fazuelos are also made by non-Jewish communities, especially during the Christian festival of Semana Santa (Holy Week), which coincides closely with Purim. This cross-cultural adoption is documented by their inclusion in some Christian Spanish cookbooks as early as 1599.
In Tunisia, a similar pastry is called Oudnin el kadhi or wdinet el cadi, meaning 'ears of the Judge' or 'little ears of the judge.'
Reader's Guide
Fazuelos represent a notable example of culinary cross-cultural exchange between Jewish and Christian communities in Spain and beyond. Their mention in 16th-century literature, particularly in a work depicting a Jewish woman fleeing the Inquisition, underscores their role as a cultural marker of Sephardic identity under persecution. The pastry's adoption by Christians during Semana Santa, documented in a 1599 cookbook, illustrates how food traditions can bridge religious divides. Variations across Sephardic communities—Turkish Jews adding brandy to the dough, Moroccan Jews serving them with cinnamon and syrup—demonstrate the adaptability of the recipe. The Tunisian version, Oudnin el kadhi, further extends the pastry's geographic and cultural reach. Today, fazuelos remain a living tradition, connecting modern practitioners to medieval Spanish and Sephardic heritage.
Did You Know?
- Fazuelos are also known as fijuelas, hiuelas, deblas, and hojuelas.
- They are mentioned in Francisco Delicado's La Lozana Andaluza, where a Jewish woman recalls making them while fleeing the Spanish Inquisition.
- Turkish Jews add brandy to the dough, while Moroccan Jews eat them with cinnamon and syrup.
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