{{Short description|Peruvian dessert}} {{Infobox food | name = Picarones | image = Picarones.jpg | image_size = 250px | caption = | alternate_name = | country = Peru | creator = | course = | type = Doughnut | served = | main_ingredient = Squash, sweet potatoes, chancaca syrup | variations = | calories = | other = }} '''Picarones''' (or '''Picarón''' ''singular'') is a Peruvian dessert<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rpp.pe/gastronomia/actualidad/la-verdadera-historia-del-picaron-noticia-939290|title=Historiadora Rosario Olivas cuenta la verdadera historia del picarón|date=18 Feb 2016|access-date=10 July 2016}}</ref> that originated in Lima during the viceroyalty. It is somewhat similar to buñuelos, a type of doughnut brought to the colonies by Spanish conquistadors. Its principal ingredients are squash and sweet potato. It is served in a doughnut form and covered with syrup, made from chancaca (solidified molasses).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Picarones {{!}} Traditional Sweet Pastry From Lima {{!}} TasteAtlas |url=https://www.tasteatlas.com/picarones |access-date=2025-09-01 |website=www.tasteatlas.com}}</ref> It is traditional to serve picarones when people prepare anticuchos, another traditional Peruvian dish.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Peru's Favorite Street Food Goes Global |url=https://www.americasquarterly.org/fulltextarticle/perus-favorite-street-food-goes-global/ |access-date=2025-09-01 |website=Americas Quarterly |language=en-US}}</ref>
==History== Picarones were created during the colonial period to replace buñuelos as buñuelos were too expensive to make.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Castella |first=Krystina |title=A World of Cake: 150 Recipes for Sweet Traditions from Cultures Near and Far; Honey Cakes to Flat Cakes, Fritters to Chiffons, Tartes to Tortes, Meringues to Mooncakes, Fruit Cakes to Spice Cakes |date=January 3, 2012 |publisher=Storey Publishing, LLC |isbn=9781603424462}}</ref> People started replacing traditional ingredients with squash and sweet potato, which created a new dessert, picarones.
Picarones are mentioned by Ricardo Palma in his book ''Tradiciones Peruanas'' (literally ''Peruvian traditions''). Picarones are also featured in traditional Latin American music and poetry.<ref name=":0" />
This dessert is mentioned in the autobiographical memoirs ''Remembrances of thirty years (1810-1840)'' (Spanish: Recuerdos de treinta años (1810-1840)) by Chilean José Zapiola, who mentions that picarones were typically eaten in Plaza de Armas de Santiago (Chile) before 1810.<ref>{{cite book |last=Zapiola |first=José |author-link=José Zapiola |title=Recuerdos de treinta años (1810-1840) |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L63nAJHoghMC&q=Jos%C3%A9+Zapiola+-+Recuerdos+de+treinta+a%C3%B1os&pg=PA265 |access-date=12 July 2015 |edition=1st |volume=I & II |year=1872 |publisher=Imprenta de El Independiente |location=Santiago, Chile |language=es |page=12 |chapter=Chapter II La policía de aseo i salubridad }}</ref>
==Gallery== <gallery align="left" widths="200px" heights="170px"> File:Picarones recién hechos.jpg File:Picarones.jpg Que ricos picarones!.jpg File:Picaron.jpg|The picarones are one of the main typical dishes of Peru. </gallery>
==See also== * List of doughnut varieties * List of fried dough varieties * List of squash and pumpkin dishes *{{portal-inline|Food}}
==Sources== * Compton, M. D. April 20, 2004. ''Peruvian Traditions: Ricardo Palma’s Latin American Historic and Folkloric Tales''. United States. AuthorHouse. {{ISBN|1-4184-1046-2}} * {{in lang|es}} Plevisani, S. 2005. ''Dulce Pasión''. Lima, Perú. Quebecor World Perú. * {{in lang|es}} Ada y Maricarmen. February, 1997. ''El Arte de la Repostería''. Lima, Perú. Biblos * {{cite book|author=Krystina Castella|title=A World of Cake: 150 Recipes for Sweet Traditions from Cultures Near and Far; Honey cakes to flat cakes, fritters to chiffons, tartes to tortes, meringues to mooncakes, fruit cakes to spice cakes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z20XOWapBCEC&pg=PT268|date=3 January 2012|publisher=Storey Publishing, LLC|isbn=978-1-60342-446-2|pages=268–270}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category}} * [http://www.yanuq.com/english/recipe.asp?idreceta=392 Recipe for Picarones]
{{Doughnut}} {{Street food}}
Category:Doughnuts Category:Peruvian desserts Category:Street food Category:Squash and pumpkin desserts