The Bilbao City Council and representatives from the Pastry Guild of Bizkaia and the Professional School of Pastry and Commerce of Bizkaia have held their annual institutional meeting today. At this event, the Tarta Begoña was presented, a gastronomic symbol associated with the celebrations honoring Bizkaia's patron saint.
Bilbao's Mayor, Juan Mari Aburto, presided over the event, which since 2003 has gathered sector representatives annually in the City Hall's Arab Room to acknowledge their contribution to the city's commercial and gastronomic identity.
In attendance were, in addition to council members, the president of the Pastry Guild of Bizkaia, José Manuel Angulo Enales, and several members of its board. The director of the Professional School, Elena Espeso, along with faculty and a group of students, were also present.
As is customary, following the institutional reception, the mayor distributed portions of the Tarta Begoña among attendees, sharing a product that highlights Bizkaia's pastry tradition.
The Tarta Begoña originated in the early 1990s from a competition initiated by the Pastry Guild of Bizkaia to create a representative dessert for the celebrations. The winning recipe featured a sponge cake with layers of praline and cream, covered with a thin layer of truffle and decorated with icing sugar depicting the silhouette of the Begoña Basilica.
