Photo: Pastisseria Santacana (Valls), culturaipasatge.cat.
In many places that celebrate Carnival, including here, it’s traditional to eat meringue during Carnival week. It’s sold in bakeries in little muffin-shaped shapes, or you can also buy the whole pastry bag / pipping bag filled with it.
Remember: it’s Carnival! That means that social rules and etiquette are not to be observed. Many people eat meringue directly from the pastry bag. Some children run around with a meringue pastry bag giving meringue to others, but as you can imagine everyone ends up messy with meringue all over their faces and hair.
In some places, most notably in Vilanova i la Geltrú (Penedès, Catalonia), during Carnival week there is also an event called “merengada”. It’s celebrated on Fat Thursday’s afternoon and it consists of a meringue war.
Photos: Carnaval de Vilanova.
In some other cities and towns, the war is done with sweets or eggs instead.
