"Suizo" is a type of sticky bun. But does one eat it with "melindros"?

Question

What I mean to be asking: What does it mean to be eating a "suizo con melindros". I find "melindroso" as an adjective meaning:

(= afectado) affected

(= aprensivo) squeamish

(= mojigato) prudish

(= quisquilloso) finicky, fussy

And what is more (and confusing), I find "melindres"

melindre (masucline noun)

(= bollo) sweet cake, iced bun

(= buñuelo) honey fritter

The "melindres" entry is confusing because it gives me pause to think that perhaps there is a typographical error in my book! .....but I don't really think so....

Context:

Siempre acabábamos en una granja de la calle Petritxol, compartiendo un plato de nata o un suizo con melindors.

• Whoops..I cannot seem to edit my post. The context quote has a typo and should be "...con melindros." - Janice Sep 29, 2010

Answer 1

I just checked it in google, as I'd never seen "melindros" before, and as the other answer says "melindro" is a català word (a dialect spoken in catalunya, a region of Spain) for lady finger. However in that context, "suizo" isn't the sweet glazed bun that you were thinking of -and so was I at first- but hot chocolate; so "suizo con melindros" means "hot chocolate with lady fingers".

• glazed - Echoline Sep 30, 2010

Answer 2

"Un paseo por el Gótco" is a delightful site, LoaEtayo. Thank you! I had only ask about the "granja" half in jest, but searching further following your lead, I found that there are a lot of "granjas" in Barcelona: Granja Mercè Viader, Granja Elena and Granja La Pallaresa were just some of the names and all were praised for their "Xocolata"

And so it looks like you were "right on" (an Americanism) about "suizo" not being a sticky bun, Billstpor!

I found one entry from Dec 11, 2006 that translated the word to "milk bar"

... La Granja: Barcelona has many Granjas, or milk bars. They specialize in all kind of milky drinks including hot chocolate

That came from the site TripAdvisor's archives.

Answer 3

I think "melindro" has nothing to do with "melindroso", in this context it would something, as you say, like a bun, or something like this.

I found this in the Wikipedia:

Bizcocho de soletilla: El nombre original es biscotto savoiardo, más conocido en su forma en plural savoiardi, un nombre italiano cuyo significado es "galleta saboyana" como lo explica su historia. Es el nombre con el que se suele denominar a estos pastelitos muy finos, de fabricación industrial fuera de Italia, conocidos también bajo su nombre en inglés, Lady Fingers (Dedos de Dama). Los bizcochos de soletilla en catalán se llaman melindro.

Unfortunately I didn't find the English version, but I hope this helps...

Answer 4

Yes, LoaEtayo, your reference helps very much. I understand the Spanish. And thank you, too, Billstpor. I was quite sure that "melindroso" was off-base. But there was that slight chance of a connection because one probably should be "melindroso/a" when eating one of those "suiza's"

In any case, La sombra del viento is set in Barcelona - in "Cataluña" - Certainly it is reasonable for the author to use those words in that context notwithstanding the fact that the book is written in "castellano". Of course my dictionaries are all Castillian.

I really appreciate your both being clever enough to think of another way to search for the right meaning!

......now about that "granja" at the end of the street Petritxol. Do you suppose that it is still there?

Answer 5

Yes, LoaEtayo, your reference helps very much. I understand the Spanish. And thank you, too, Billstpor. I was quite sure that "melindroso" was off-base. But there was that slight chance of a connection because one probably should be "melindroso/a" when eating one of those "suiza's"

In any case, La sombra del viento is set in Barcelona - in "Cataluña" - Certainly it is reasonable for the author to use those words in that context notwithstanding the fact that the book is written in "castellano". Of course my dictionaries are all Castillian.

I really appreciate your both being clever enough to think of another way to search for the right meaning!

......now about that "granja" at the end of the street Petritxol. Do you suppose that it is still there?

Answer 6

Isn't Ruiz Zafón well-known for writing about real places? I think I once heard so, so I've been looking for street Petritxol, and what I found is this:

La calle Petritxol es uno de los lugares más característicos de la ciudad y también más queridos por sus habitantes. Los barceloneses parecen mantener un vínculo sentimental con sus establecimientos, principalmente con las granjas y las salas de arte y exposiciones como la "Sala Parés". Las chocolaterías de la calle Petritxol tienen un público heterogeneo que es fiel a estas granjas debido a la elaboración casera de sus productos.

Cuando se abrió la Sala Parés, hecho que fue algo más que un acontecimiento para el barrio, se estableció una costumbre: los días festivos y los domingos después de ir a misa, la gente iba a dar una vuelta y a ver la Sala Parés, y al salir no podían dejar de comprar dulces o pasteles. Una de las granjas de más tradición de la calle petritxol es la Dulcinea.

(http://www.unav.es/dpp/tecnologia/2007/30/petri.html)

At first I though "Granja" was the name of a specific cake shop, but now I think it is the name given in Barcelona (and maybe in all Catalonia) to those shops.