Coca de calabaza, Pumpkin coca —and fiestas de Moros y Cristianos in Onteniente

October 30, 2025

Natacha Sanz Caballero

Breads, Desserts and Sweets, Occasions & Journey
cocina española, espresso time, fiestas de Moros y Cristianos, gluten free, merienda, Onteniente, Valencian delicacies

Whereas looking out on my weblog, I noticed that I don’t have any publish about crucial pageant in Onteniente, my hometown, las Fiestas de Moros y Cristianos, the Moors and Christians Pageant! Many recipes will be associated to this publish, so it was onerous to decide on, however I made a decision on coca de calabaza, pumpkin coca, a candy torta widespread in my area, la Vall d’Albaida and la Sierra de Mariola.

Coca de calabaza is a reasonably easy coca, it consists of only some substances. It’s eaten by itself, like a morning snack or a day merienda, however I additionally wish to eat it as a lightweight lunch —by no means thoughts the sugar in it, the pumpkin justifies it! It was considered one of my favourite snacks once I was younger, as a result of it was scrumptious in its simplicity. And did I point out it’s also gluten free? Yep, no wheat flour or some other gluten creating ingredient.

Coca de calabaza, pumpkin coca, is an ideal dish to organize for fiestas de Moros y Cristianos, as a result of it may be ready forward of time to take pleasure in later, which is strictly what households do in the course of the week lengthy pageant. There’s an excessive amount of happening at each time of the day and evening to spend time cooking, so meals at each family are ready upfront.

The Pageant

Las fiestas de Moros y Cristianos, the Moors and Christians pageant, is well known in Onteniente the final week in August, and it has been like this for 165 years. Sure, you heard properly! In its present format, the pageant has been celebrated constantly since 1860, however its origin is even older, 1571. The pageant was declared of nationwide curiosity in 1972 and in 2024 it was granted its declaration as a Pageant of Worldwide Curiosity. To have fun this recognition, on October 12, 2025, a illustration of the pageant paraded alongside fifth Avenue in New York Metropolis as a part of the Columbus Day celebrations, or as we name it in Spain, el Día de la Hispanidad.

Through the week lengthy pageant there’s little time for sleep, a lot much less prepare dinner, so most households, put together meals upfront, to have on the prepared once they get residence after one of many many every day parades and occasions. Coca de calabaza, pumpkin coca, is a snack all people likes to have on the prepared once they want a fast chunk to eat.

Historical past

The streets of Onteniente come alive in the course of the Moors and Christians pageant, with joyous excessive spirits, magnificent and complicated costumes within the fashion of the period, and majestic music, in a dramatized recreation of the Christian conquest of the city by King Jaime I within the thirteenth century, after its invasion by the moors within the eighth century. The entire city takes half within the performances, on one or the opposite sides, within the function of both the Moors or the Christians, and reenact key occasions such because the entry of the troops into town, plenty of festive in addition to spiritual parades, and the reception of the troops by their embassies earlier than partaking in battle.

The pageant revolves across the comparsas, parade teams below the title of a Moor or a Christian tribe. In Onteniente there are 24 comparsas, 12 on every of the Christian and the Moors sides. Amongst them are the Kábilas, Taifas, Mozárabes, Moros Españoles and Berberiscos on the Moor facet, and the Labradores, Marineros, Almogávares, Cruzados and Cides on the Chistian facet, as much as a complete of 24 comparsas.

Yearly, every comparsa appoints its personal captain, referred to as primer tró. Additionally, yearly, a captain, ambassador and flag bearer are appointed from the Moor and the Christian sides. The 2 ambassadors will interact in public, diplomatic talks the Monday of the pageant, not arriving to any settlement, which can result in a battle between the Moor and the Christian captains within the afternoon. These colourful reenactments happen within the Metropolis Sq., below the watchful eyes of 1000’s of spectators.

The Moors and Christians pageant pays homage to the Santísimo Cristo de la Agonía, the Holy Christ of the Agony, who can be paraded by city in three necessary spiritual occasions in the course of the pageant: on Saturday, the Descent of the Christ (la Bajada del Cristo) from the Santa Ana chapel, the place it reposes 12 months lengthy; on Sunday, the Procession and two weeks later, the return of the Christ to its residence in Santa Ana (la Subida de Cristo). These processions are solemn and uplifting.

However for sure, probably the most spectacular of all occasions of the pageant is la Entrada, the entry of the troops into city. With the rising variety of individuals, la Entrada has advanced in format time beyond regulation. Presently, the 12 Christian comparsas will parade first, from afternoon till about 10 PM, on the tune of upbeat pasodobles. After a one-hour break for dinner, the Moors will parade, regally and majestically, swaying to the tune of the marchas moras, till the wee hours of the morning, 3 or 4 AM.

Beneath the pageant lights and the transferring and uplifting music from the over 1000 musicians grouped in bands, dancers, warriors of their horses, warriors on foot, camels, floats, acrobats, lights and hearth reveals and plenty of different surprises yearly, will dazzle the 1000’s of spectators that line the streets. It’s actually a spectacle to see.

The function of ladies

From 1960 till the late 80s, solely males have been allowed to parade, to be true to historical past, when solely males went to struggle. The function of ladies was symbolic, and represented by an elected Queen of the Pageant and a court docket of 10 ladies-in-waiting, damas de honor.

In 1985 I had the privilege of representing the ladies of Onteniente because the Queen of the Pageant, la Reina de Fiestas. It was a 12 months of sudden surprises, after we additionally celebrated the 125 anniversary of the pageant, which included a visit to the Royal Palace in Madrid for an viewers with the King of Spain (the actual one, Juan Carlos I!). f you do the mathematics, it has been 40 years since then, and to have fun the anniversary, most of us obtained collectively this 12 months to have fun and reminisce.

As you may see from the photographs and movies, girls at the moment are an integral a part of the pageant and the parades.

The Moors and Christians pageant celebrates historical past, custom and neighborhood, and fills Onteniente with coloration, music and pleasure. For those who go to, be prepared for around the clock music, dance and a metropolis that doesn’t sleep. Having coca de calabaza, pumpkin coca, and plenty of different able to eat dishes like coca de pimiento, atún y tomate, Alcoy meat muffins, calamari and bean salad or pesto and solar dried tomate terrine will are available in very helpful.

I go away you some movies. Get pleasure from.

¡Felices fiestas!

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