Asturian-American Migration Forum

Hola a todos -

New member posting.

I have a question about a food I've been eating since I was a child - a crepe-like pancake which my mother calls "menuelos". She always serves them for breakfast, and they can be eaten with sweet or salty fillings. I'm unable to find them anywhere on the internet, and I'm beginning to think the word has been through some mutations.

Anyone know what these might actually be called in Asturias?

My maternal grandfather was born in Oviedo and moved to the US as a young man with his parents and 14 brothers and sisters. My mother learned this recipe from her aunts.

Thank you!

The word you mention sounds like "buñuelos" (cream puffs or fritters), but what you describe are "fayuelos" or "frixuelos", which are crepes, as you say. I believe there are recipes in this section.

My grandmother also made minuelos. There were crepe-like cakes that she spread with butter and sprinkled with sugar and rolled up. We got them for special snacks. Here is her recipe:

2 eggs, 2/3 cups milk, 3/4 cups flour, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 Tbsp. melted butter
Mix all ingredients together, cover and refrigerate for 30 min. Stir before use and add more milk or flour to create a crepe like consistency in the batter. Pour onto very hot, buttered pan and roll to cover and thin batter. When golden brown spots appear on underside, flip once. Wait for brown spots to appear and remove from heat. spread with more butter and a little granulated sugar. Roll up and enjoy.

You won't be able to make these fast enough to get one for yourself if there is anybody else in the kitchen with you. Good luck and I hope these bring back as wonderful memories as I have of my childhood and grandma.

Welcome, Gebkab! Thanks for sharing that recipe.

¡Bienvenido, Gebkab! Gracias por compartir la receta.

Oh, how I remember menuelas! My grandmother would make them in a HEAVY cast iron skillet. After pouring in the batter, she would constantly swirl the skillet around to keep them from burning. Her arm must have been killing her. They were indeed a very thin crepe that we ate rolled up with sugar. Of course, my grandfather would complain that they were too thick- he said that you should be able to read a newspaper through them!

Rich, as Terechu says, your description is wich corresponds to our "frisuelos". It's similar to this?:

Yes, Carlos- that looks like them. I'm certainly glad the recipe is here. I think I'll try to make them on my next day off.

SI!! Terechu! My grandmother also made buenuelos (sorry no tilde on my keyboard ) We always looked forward to them when she was finished with her baking. I always thought she made them with pastry that was left over from her fruit pies. But, perhaps I am mistaken about that. When we were in New Orleans a few years ago, the year prior to Katrina in fact, my step-daughter was SO excited to have me try the benes at a certain restaurant. When I saw them I said to her that they were Bunuelos!! ( But, not like my abuela's!! ) Wonderful memories!! Thank You!
Betty Vega Fockler

Oh yes Carlos that exactly how the frisuelos my Grandmother used to make for us.

She would only make them on a holiday...mostly Easter. We looked forward to them all year. She would make them and we would eat them before they hit the plate.

Oh sweet memories of days gone by.

Barbara Alonso Novellino

Mis abuelos eran Asturianos. Mi abuela nos hacia los "minuelos" con esa misma receta pero los llamaba "Fiolos" o "Frezuelos". Los conocen por estos nombres tambien?