Ten of the best confectioners in Lagos worked hard for three days on end and succeeded: they made a giant Dom Rodrigo weighing 126,7 kilos, which is already a Guinness Book record.
At 18:25 pm last Friday, at the opening of the Concurso da Arte Doce Fair, which took place in Lagos over the weekend, the (still) Mayor Maria Joaquina Matos received it from the judge of the Guinness World of Records, the Spanish Victor Fenes Vaca, the plaque that attested the feat of Dom Rodrigo lacobrigense.
Before, the huge candy made of egg strands, soft eggs, sugar, almond kernels and cinnamon, there it was on a refrigerated platform, wrapped in parchment paper, first, and then in bright yellow silver paper.
Beside him, wrapped in the same way, but with blue paper, is a small (and normal) Dom Rodrigo. The size contrast gave a good idea of the gigantism of the task that the confectioners in Lagos took on, after the challenge made by the City Council.
After the homologation of the record was announced (in fact, no one, anywhere in the world, had ever tried to make a giant Dom Rodrigo before, so this one, as long as it weighed more than 50 kilos and respected the traditional recipe, would always be the biggest as usual), the sweets, helped by the mayor, dedicated themselves to carefully unwrapping the enormous sweet, in front of the eyes and applause of hundreds of people who gathered there.
Then, it was time to taste Dom Rodrigo…and, like the Sul Informação also found, despite the record size, the cake was delicious! Hundreds of people at the Sweet Art Fair, of all ages and nationalities, were responsible for giving the final verdict on the quality and flavor of Dom Rodrigo, who is even one of the seven district finalists of the 7 Wonders of Portugal competition .
The sweets, who for a moment left their stalls at the fair to help distribute their giant Dom Rodrigo, had no hands to measure. And, despite its 126,7 kilos, in no time the candy was reduced to a small pile of egg strands and almond paste…
João Fernandes, president of the Algarve Tourism Region, present at the Guinness record reveal ceremony, stressed that being there was «a demanding challenge for those who want to start a diet, like me».
As for the Arte Doce Fair (this year with a renewed and strong brand image, under the responsibility of the company 1000olhos), the responsible for tourism in the Algarve underlined that this type of event «stimulates creativity that turns into innovation».
For her part, Maria Joaquina Matos stressed that Dom Rodrigo «is something very much ours, here in Lagos, and that it can help to differentiate our tourist offer in terms of gastronomy». Hence the big bet that the Municipality is making, either with the inscription of the candy in the Guinness Book of Records, or with its application to Maravilha.
As for Guinness, Joaquina Matos underlined that it was a “courageous initiative, due to its complexity”, which involved the monitoring of all the work of the confectioners by external entities, such as technicians from the Portuguese Institute of Quality.
The ten women worked in the refectory of Escola Tecnopólis, which “has all the conditions” for a job with this level of demand, said the mayor, visibly happy with the achievement achieved.
The next step, "demanding", announced the mayor in statements to the Sul Informação, is the certification of Dom Rodrigo.
With these initiatives, the president of the Chamber hopes that «the tradition of confectionery in Lagos, in particular that of this very special sweet that is Dom Rodrigo, will continue to be handed down from generation to generation, as has happened until now».
And the mayor took the opportunity to appeal to vote for Dom Rodrigo, in the 7 Wonders of Sweets contest, noting that the number to vote is 760 107 136.
Maria Joaquina Matos defended that this is “a healthy competition”, expressing hopes that “Dom Rodrigo is considered the best sweet in the region and the one that will represent the Algarve at national level”.
The story of Dom Rodrigo de Lagos
Dom Rodrigo de Lagos is an Algarve sweet of convent origin, whose recipe originated in the XNUMXth century, in the former Convent of Nossa Senhora do Carmo, in Lagos.
Made by the Carmelite nuns, its name was associated with the Governor-Captain General of the Praça de Guerra de Lagos, D. Rodrigo de Menezes.
Dom Rodrigo was then present at the feasts of noble and wealthy merchants and industrialists of the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, served in glass or porcelain cups, being tasted with a spoon.
The presentation of this candy as it is known today dates back to the introduction of aluminum foil in Portugal, in the first half of the XNUMXth century, and to the initiative of a local regional candy house, which introduced the use of silver-colored paper packaging and, later, , in various colors, in order to differentiate itself and thus attract the consumer.
The tradition survives in the knowledge of many confectioners who are dedicated to making this regional sweet, which can be enjoyed in commercial spaces in the city and at the Arte Doce Contest Fair, organized every year by the municipality.
Photos: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação
Note: The weight approved by the Guinness Book of Records is 125,4 kilograms (126,7 kilos, including the typical sweet packaging), according to information sent on July 30th by the City Council of Lagos.
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