The story
Tarta de Santiago, St James's cake, is the almond cake of Santiago de Compostela, the Galician city where pilgrims on the Camino end their journey at the cathedral. Its first known mention dates from 1577, in notes on what was eaten at the city's university. The food writer Claudia Roden suggests even older roots, in almond cakes brought north by Jews fleeing Almohad rule in the 11th century. The familiar design came much later: in 1924 the Casa Mora pastry shop began dusting sugar around a stencil of the Cross of St James. Since 2010 the cake has had EU protected status, which covers all of Galicia.
Rival claims
The cake belongs to the whole of Galicia (its protected status covers the region); its first record (1577) and the cross design (Casa Mora, 1924) are both from this city.
Also known as torta de Santiago, St James cake, Santiago almond cake.
On the Meridish menu
Tarta de Santiago was the dessert course on menu No. 13 on October 13, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
A flourless almond cake dusted with sugar around the outline of a knight's cross. Pilgrims have walked here for a thousand years to finish at the cathedral.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
