Gaznates: what they are and the traditional sweet recipe

What is it?

Gaznates are a traditional Mexican sweet made of two crisp tubes of fried dough (similar to cylindrical wafers) filled with sweet Italian or French meringue, with the ends closed by the meringue itself, which peeks out as white foam. Their name comes from the Spanish 'gaznate' (the inner part of the throat), for the cylindrical shape of the wafer that evokes a passage. The texture combines the extreme crunch of the fried wafer with the creamy softness of the meringue. The flavour is intensely sweet, with the fried dough adding notes of hot oil and vanilla, while the meringue adds an airy, fluffy sweetness. It is one of the most representative traditional sweets of the popular confectionery of central Mexico, especially in Mexico City, the State of Mexico, Tlaxcala and Puebla. They are sold in markets, regional sweet shops, patron-saint fairs and as a traditional offering for Day of the Dead festivities.

Origin and history

Gaznates have a New Spain colonial origin, derived from European wafers (conical waffles) and the Spanish tradition of frying thin doughs (similar to rosquetes and empanadillas). Meringue, an Italian technique of the seventeenth century passed on to Spain and the Americas, was incorporated as a filling during the eighteenth century in Mexican convent confectionery. The gaznate-meringue combination is a classic New Spain invention, an example of the Baroque play of textures and extreme sweetness characteristic of the convent confectionery of the period. Larousse Cocina identifies gaznates as one of the most popular traditional sweets of central Mexico. The modern recipe took shape during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when popular sweet shops and market stalls adapted the convent recipe for accessible commercial production. The cylindrical-wafer technique was made possible by the manufacture of specific metal moulds (thin tubes around which the fried dough is rolled before it solidifies). Gaznates are sweets especially linked to Mexican popular festivities: Day of the Dead, patron-saint fairs, posadas, the patriotic festivals of 15 and 16 September.

Characteristic ingredients

For the wafers: wheat flour, water, salt, a tablespoon of vegetable oil and sometimes an egg or yolk. The dough is kneaded until it reaches a firm, elastic consistency, left to rest, rolled out very thin, cut into small rectangles and wrapped around cylindrical metal moulds. They are fried in hot oil until golden and removed from the mould once warm. For the meringue: egg whites at room temperature, refined sugar (a proportion of about one white per fifty grams of sugar), a few drops of lime juice and, optionally, natural vanilla. The whites are whisked to firm peaks, incorporating the sugar as a hot syrup (Italian meringue) or gradually granulated (the simpler French meringue). The meringue should be firm, shiny and hold peaks when the whisk is lifted. Each wafer is filled with a piping bag or spoon, letting the meringue protrude slightly at both ends as the characteristic foam. Some variants colour the meringue pink or yellow with vegetable colourings for a festive presentation. Contemporary variants: gaznates filled with pastry cream, cajeta or condensed milk instead of the classic meringue; chocolate-dipped gaznates; miniature gaznates for modern dessert tables. The recipe yields about fifteen to twenty gaznates per standard recipe.

Cultural significance

Gaznates are one of the most identity-defining traditional sweets of the popular confectionery of central Mexico and an indispensable part of the country's gastronomic heritage. Traditional Mexican cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010, incorporates traditional confectionery as an expression of New Spain culinary mestizaje. Gaznates are especially important at Day of the Dead festivities: they are incorporated into family and community altars as a white sugar sweet that evokes spiritual purity, similar to the role of sugar skulls and polvorones. They are also indispensable at patron-saint fairs, traditional festivals, December posadas and quinceañera celebrations of central Mexico. The traditional Mexican sweet industry, especially in the markets of Mexico City, Toluca, Tlaxcala, Puebla and Cuernavaca, sustains family cooperatives dedicated to their making. Emblematic markets such as La Merced, Coyoacán, San Juan, La Lagunilla and Jamaica in Mexico City, as well as the central markets of the state capitals of central Mexico, offer fresh gaznates daily. Their handmade production (without industrial machinery) and almost immediate consumption (the meringue dampens after twelve hours) keep them a genuine artisanal product, contrasting with packaged industrial sweets.

Frequently asked questions

What do gaznates taste like?

They taste mainly of sweet meringue and the slightly oily fried wafer. It is a combination of intense sweetness and extreme crunch: the first bite breaks the wafer almost like crisp wafers while releasing the creamy softness of the meringue inside. The flavour is uniformly sweet without deep aromatic complexity, which makes them especially appreciated by children and sugar lovers. The texture is the real star: a crunchy-creamy contrast unique in Mexican confectionery.

Where do gaznates come from?

They originate in the New Spain convent confectionery of central Mexico during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, derived from European wafers and the incorporation of meringue as an Italian technique arriving via Spain. Mexico City, the State of Mexico, Tlaxcala and Puebla are the regions with the most deeply rooted tradition. The popular market sweet shops, heirs to convent pastry-making, keep the recipe alive. Their modern consolidation dates from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

How is the meringue filled?

Traditionally with a piping bag and a medium nozzle, filling each wafer from one end and letting the meringue protrude slightly on both sides, creating the characteristic white foam. Some confectioners use a small spoon to fill by hand, a more artisanal but less uniform technique. The meringue should be filled shortly before consumption: if filled hours in advance, the moisture of the meringue softens the crisp wafer and the distinctive texture is lost. Market stalls fill them on the spot.

How long do gaznates last?

Filled gaznates should be eaten within twelve hours at most to preserve the characteristic contrast of textures. After this time, the moisture of the meringue softens the crisp wafer and the experience is compromised. The unfilled wafers can be kept for up to a week in an airtight container and filled on the spot. The meringue separately lasts up to two days refrigerated. For festivities and special events it is recommended to prepare the wafers in advance and fill them minutes before serving.