Gaznates: the wafer sweet filled with meringue

What is it?

Gaznates are a traditional Mexican sweet made up of two crunchy tubes of fried dough (similar to cylindrical wafers) filled with sweet Italian or French meringue, with the ends closed by the meringue itself which peeps out as white foam. Their name comes from the Spanish 'gaznate' (the inner part of the throat), due to the cylindrical shape of the wafer, which evokes a conduit. 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 providing notes of hot oil and vanilla, while the meringue adds airy fluffy sweetness. It is one of the most representative traditional sweets of popular confectionery in central Mexico, especially in Mexico City, the State of Mexico, Tlaxcala and Puebla. They are sold in markets, regional sweet shops, patronal fairs and as a traditional offering for Day of the Dead festivities.

Origin and history

Gaznates have a New Spanish colonial origin, derived from European wafers (conical waffles) and the Spanish tradition of frying fine doughs (similar to rosquetes and empanadillas). Meringue, an Italian technique of the 17th century transmitted to Spain and America, was incorporated as a filling during the 18th century in Mexican convent confectionery. The gaznate-meringue combination is a classic New Spanish invention, an example of the baroque play of extreme textures and sweetness characteristic of the convent confectionery of the period. Larousse Cocina identifies gaznates as one of the most popular traditional sweets in central Mexico. The modern recipe was consolidated during the 19th and 20th centuries, when popular sweet shops and market stalls adapted the convent recipe for accessible commercial production. The cylindrical wafer technique was facilitated by the manufacture of specific metal moulds (thin tubes around which the fried dough is wound before it solidifies). Gaznates are sweets especially linked to popular Mexican festivities: Day of the Dead, patronal fairs, posadas, national celebrations on 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 has a firm and elastic consistency, left to rest, rolled out very thin with a rolling pin, cut into small rectangles and wound 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 (approximate proportion of one white per fifty grams of sugar), a few drops of lemon juice and, optionally, natural vanilla. The whites are beaten to firm peaks while incorporating the sugar in the form of hot syrup (Italian meringue) or granulated gradually (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, allowing the meringue to protrude slightly at both ends as a characteristic foam. Some variants colour the meringue pink or yellow with vegetable colourings for a festive presentation. Contemporary variants: gaznates filled with confectioner's custard, cajeta or condensed milk instead of classic meringue; chocolate-coated gaznates; miniature gaznates for modern dessert tables. The proportion yields approximately fifteen to twenty gaznates per standard recipe.

Cultural significance

Gaznates are one of the most identifying traditional sweets of popular central Mexican confectionery and form an indispensable part of the country's gastronomic heritage. Traditional Mexican cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010, integrates traditional confectionery as an expression of New Spanish culinary mestizaje. Gaznates are especially important at Day of the Dead festivities: they are incorporated into family and community offerings as a white sugar sweet that evokes spiritual purity, similar to the role of sugar skulls and polvorones. They are also indispensable at patronal fairs, traditional parties, December posadas and quinceanera celebrations in 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 production. Iconic markets such as La Merced, Coyoacan, 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 moistens after twelve hours) keep them as a genuine artisanal product, contrasting with packaged industrial sweets.

Frequently asked questions

What do gaznates taste like?

They taste mainly of sweet meringue and slightly oily fried wafer. It is a combination of intense sweetness and extreme crunch: the first bite breaks the wafer almost like crunchy wafers while releasing the creamy softness of the inner meringue. 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 unique crunchy-creamy contrast in Mexican confectionery.

Where do gaznates come from?

They originate from New Spanish convent confectionery in central Mexico during the 17th and 18th centuries, derived from European wafers and the incorporation of meringue as an Italian technique that arrived via Spain. Mexico City, the State of Mexico, Tlaxcala and Puebla are the regions with the most deeply rooted tradition. Popular market sweet shops, heirs of convent pastry-making, keep the recipe alive. Their modern consolidation dates from the 19th and 20th centuries.

How is the meringue filled?

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

How long do gaznates last?

Filled gaznates should be consumed within a maximum of twelve hours to preserve the characteristic texture contrast. After this time, the moisture of the meringue softens the crunchy wafer and the experience is compromised. Unfilled wafers can be kept for up to a week in an airtight container and filled at the moment. Meringue separately keeps for 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.