Food & Drink

Moors and Jews alike left their mark on the local confectionery and pastries. Good examples include the amarguillos (almond cookies) and mazapanes (marzipan) from the Convent of Santa María de Dueñas, and the buns and biscuits made by the nuns in Alba de Tormes, to say nothing of the bollo maimón, a kind of sponge cake.
A comprehensive list of cakes, biscuits, sweet meats and the like made in the area would be too long to print here. Naming a few will however make the task of spotting them that much easier: roscas (doughnut-like rings); quisquillas almendradas and arrope (grape syrup) from La Alberca; almendras garrapiñadas (candied almonds) from Alba de Tormes; Obleas (wafers); perrunillas (oval or circular cinnamon-and-lemon flavoured biscuits); repelados, duquesitas; hojaldres (puff pastry) from Ledesma and Santillán; obispos from Yeltes; and empiñonados and huesillos (fried finger-shaped pastries) from Béjar, and so on.
Many good restaurants are to be found en route, where the region's varied fare may be enjoyed to the fullest. Bars abound, and the custom of tapeo (ordering a mix of snack-like servings, known as Tapas) is almost a "must" in and around the Plaza Mayor, the Arco del Toro, Calle Clavel and Plaza San Julián, are other neighbourhood where local specialities are served.