Torrijas, which are consumed throughout Spain, are an icon of Holy Week. Although there are thousands of recipes to make at home, nowadays you can also buy them ready-to-eat in supermarkets. Large stores have adapted to customers’ lack of time and, although the products they offer are not as good as homemade or pastry torrijas, this year the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has recognized that some industrial options They have exceeded your expectations.
The six packaged torrijas that the organization has analyzed have been those from Ahorramás, Alcampo, Carrefour, Casa Eceizal, El Corte Inglés and Mercadona. To evaluate them, the labeling, nutritional information, the presence of additives, the quality of the fats and sugars used, as well as the opinion of a team of expert pastry chefs who have assessed the quality and flavor of each one have been taken into account. of them.
In 2023, the OCU carried out this same analysis, in which many of the torrijas came out badly. This year, however, it is noticeable that brands have changed their formula to offer a higher quality product that lives up to consumer demands.
The biggest difference between the torrijas tasted, in addition to their appearance, juiciness, flavor and smell, has been the tasting. According to experts, “the perfect torrija is one that has a thickness of at least 2 cm, a juicy texture, and an adequate balance between the sweet flavor and the aromas of cinnamon and citrus.”
After deliberations, the winning torrija was that from El Corte Inglés, which they considered very similar to the homemade ones: it does not include additives and the sugar is not replaced by glucose syrup. Thus, the resulting torrija is tender and juicy, with a balanced flavor between sweetness and citrus and cinnamon, and with a very satisfying appearance.
The torrija from the Ahorramás supermarket has also obtained a good score, although according to expert tasters it is less tasty than the winner. According to the OCU, “Mercadona and Casa Eceiza present two acceptable products, but Casa Eceiza’s torrija is more similar to a pudding than a classic torrija.” The other two, from Carrefour and Alcampo, are dry, rigid, their aromas are not natural and they lack flavor.
Torrija is characterized by being a homemade recipe, made from four basic ingredients: bread, milk, sugar and eggs. Although it is increasingly popular in bakeries and restaurants, the popularity it has had in supermarkets is also surprising. Consequently, its ingredients have had to be adapted to extend its best-before date.
To begin with, it is customary to replace the sugar or honey in traditional French toast with glucose syrups, a lower quality sweetener. In the case of fats, most contain sunflower oil, but Alcampo torrija also adds palm oil. Finally, all products except El Corte Inglés include additives in their composition: preservatives, colorings, texture agents, and acidity regulators.
In addition to the fact that the quality is hardly comparable, the price is not comparable either. The OCU points out that “taking into account the current prices of milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, citrus, oil, electricity consumed and special bread for torrijas, each one can cost around 0.5 euros”. On the other hand, supermarket ones are between 1.5 and 2.6 euros per torrija.
The lowest price per kilo is that of Carrefour and Ahorramás, at 14.26 euros/kg, while the winner is not much more expensive, with a price of 14.58 euros/kg. On the other hand, the torrijas with a higher cost are those from Casa Eceiza, at 19.95 euros/kg.
