Festa ta` San Martin

The feast of Saint Martin (11th November) must be one of my favorite feasts in the year. I suspect this is mainly because of the food traditions linked to it. 

Tradition dictates that most children are given a borza ta` San Martin (a bag of St M.), which usually comes full of nuts mainly almonds, walnuts and various citrus namely mandarins and oranges. Back in the day some lucky children would also be given 75 cents from the older people in the village.

This morning I went to my baker, round the corner, to buy milk and saw my first hobz ta San Martin (St Martin bread). I had to buy two, cut them in half and devowered one with a tick layer of butter spread in the middle. The mix of the sweetness from the bun and saltyness of the butter is divine. 

The buns are soft and sweet, made with flour, butter, milk and lemon and tangerine zest. Most times a liquorish sweet can be found stuck in the bun. They are seasonal and make for a tasty alternative b'fast.
For the foodies amongst you, a good recipe can be found here