The Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) guarantee compliance with strict requirements which even exceed those demanded of similar products in the same product range.Look for the Regulatory Council logo to identify and enjoy the authentic top quality “Mantecado from Estepa”.

The Regulatory Council of the Protected Geographical Indication “Mantecados from Estepa” is a non-profit Public Law Corporation, with legal personality and with full capability to act as it sees fit in order to fulfill its purpose: maintaining and increasing the quality of the protected products. The products covered by the Regulatory Council of the Protected Geographical Indication “Mantecados from Estepa” are clearly identified by the logo that appears on their wrappings and packaging, and all the registered companies are located in the Estepa area.

The Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) “Mantecados from Estepa” is a recognition, on the European Union level, of the high quality of “Mantecados from Estepa”, in relation to the area in which they are made.

The ingredients and raw materials used in the production process meet strict physical-chemical, microbiological and organoleptic parameters. They guarantee the quality of our mantecados, maintained over 100 hundred years, endowing us with our excellent reputation and qualifying us for this European quality label.

“Mantecados from Estepa” are made following the traditional process. However, to serve market demands, the Regulatory Council is constantly applying new techniques aimed at improving the process and quality of the products. These improvements are approved by Quality Management, following guidelines set down by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment of the Regional Government of Andalusia.

Production process of the products covered by the Protected Geographical Indication “Mantecados from Estepa”

1. Reception, storage and conditioning: raw materials pass the detailed physical-chemical, microbiological and organoleptic analysis and tests laid down by the PGI Quality Management. Once the suitability is verified, raw materials are stored in specially equipped warehouses. Some ingredients, like almonds, sugar and flour must be conditioned before beginning the production process. Almonds are toasted and chopped. Sugar is ground into icing sugar, and flour is dried until it reaches the adequate level of humidity.
2. Kneading, molding and baking: the ingredients are placed in the mixers in the following order: lard, icing sugar, specific ingredients of each variety, and flour. Once the batter has the correct color and texture, the pieces are shaped by hand or mechanically. Previous to baking, some products are covered with sesame seeds. All products are baked until they reach an even texture and color inside.
3. Cooling and tempering: the mantecado is left to cool to room temperature, in order to facilitate handling and prevent condensation in the packaging. Cooling can be done naturally or with air conditioning. Prior to packaging, some varieties are dusted with icing sugar.
4. Wrapping and packaging: immediately after cooling, the product is flow-pack wrapped in tissue paper with a double twist or in thermo sealed packages to preserve its qualities and prevent it from cracking. Once they are wrapped, they are placed in the boxes admitted by the Regulatory Council and stored under optimum conditions, ready to be marketed.