Polvorones de Estepa

Polvorones de Estepa is a PGI-protected Christmas pastry produced in the municipality of Estepa, province of Sevilla. Made from wheat flour, lard, icing sugar, almond, cinnamon, and natural flavourings, each piece is oblong, coated with icing sugar on the upper surface, and must not exceed 50 grams in weight. The designation has been in continuous production from the same recipe for more than a century.

About this designation

Polvorones de Estepa is registered as a Protected Geographical Indication under file number PGI-ES-01218, with EU protection granted on 24 March 2014, and is recorded in the eAmbrosia register under identifier EUGI00000015942. The geographical area is the municipality of Estepa in the province of Sevilla, Spain. All stages of production, including kneading, cutting, baking, cooling, and packaging, must take place within that area. The specification defines two product categories based on almond content: pâtisserie artisanale and pâtisserie aux amandes/pâtisserie traditionnelle. Mandatory raw materials and their permitted proportions are: wheat flour (40 to 50 %), lard (20 to 25 %), icing sugar (22 to 27 %), cinnamon (0.1 to 1 %), natural flavourings (0.01 to 1 %), clove (0 to 1 %), and almond, which must be at least 8 % for the pâtisserie aux amandes/pâtisserie traditionnelle category and at least 15 % for the pâtisserie artisanale category. Each piece must have a diameter between 4 and 7 centimetres, a thickness of no more than 2.5 centimetres, and a maximum weight of 50 grams. Physico-chemical requirements set moisture below 7.5 % and pH below 6.5. Packaging must be carried out in the geographical area. Individual wrappers and boxes containing only protected products must bear the label "Indicación Geográfica Protegida", the name Polvorones de Estepa, and the registered logotype. The applicant body is the Consejo Regulador de las IGPs «Mantecados de Estepa» y «Polvorones de Estepa».

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 28, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 24 March 2014 under file number PGI-ES-01218; eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000015942.
• Each piece must not exceed 50 grams, must measure between 4 and 7 centimetres in diameter, and must have a thickness no greater than 2.5 centimetres.
• Almond content must be at least 15 % for the pâtisserie artisanale category and at least 8 % for the pâtisserie aux amandes/pâtisserie traditionnelle category.
• All production and packaging must take place within the municipality of Estepa, province of Sevilla.

Tasting notes

Andalusian crumbly shortbread IGP from Estepa, distinctive — extremely friable crumbling-on-touch texture (the "polvorón" = "dust"), traditionally individually paper-wrapped to preserve shape until eating. Sweet powdered-sugar dusted, almond-cinnamon flavor.

HoReCa use

Polvorones de Estepa are traditionally produced and consumed during the Christmas season, from September to December, and the specification notes they may be packaged individually or together with other typical Christmas pastries.

Packaging

• retail-pack-12-pieces
• retail-pack-300g
• gift-tin-500g

Seasonality