Queimada

What it is

Queimada is a warm punch from Galicia, in northwest Spain. Its base is aguardente, the Galician orujo, built with sugar and coffee beans, flavoured with lemon or orange peel, and in some versions cinnamon or apples. It is prepared in a pumpkin hollowed out for the purpose, or in a pot of ceramic or clay, then set alight, and the liquid burns slowly as more brandy is worked in. What sets it apart is the spoken part: while the punch is made, a spell is recited, and these words are believed to confer special powers on the drink and on those who share it. It is served at parties, family meetings and gatherings of friends, most often after dinner, and is best known as a drink of Saint John's Eve on June 23.

Where it comes from

The drink's beginnings are traced to the Celtic pagan festivals held in Galicia, its home region in the northwest of Spain. Other chapters of Spanish history are named as influences too: the Arabs and Moors, and Spain's colonies in South America. The rite as it is kept today belongs to the family table and the night: it is made after dinner, in darkness, with a spell spoken over the flames. Its one settled date is Saint John's Eve, June 23, a night Galicians call witches' night.

How it is done

The punch is put together in a pumpkin hollowed out for the purpose, or in a pot of ceramic or clay. Galician aguardente, the orujo spirit, goes in with sugar, coffee beans and lemon or orange peel; cinnamon or apples appear in some versions. While the drink is made, a spell is spoken over it, and the liquid is then set alight, burning slowly as extra brandy is worked in. The company gathers close around the container, ideally in darkness. One of those present brings the making to a close: they recite the incantation, lifting the flaming punch in a ladle and letting it pour slowly back into the pot as they speak.

Tools and materials

The spirit at the heart of the drink is aguardente, known in Galicia as orujo, made by distilling the leftover parts of the winemaking process. Sugar, lemon or orange peel and coffee beans go into the mix, and some versions add cinnamon or apples. The vessel is a pumpkin hollowed out for the occasion, or a pot of ceramic or clay, and a ladle serves to lift the flaming punch and return it to the bowl. More brandy keeps the surface burning as the spell is spoken.

What it is for

The rite is done for protection. By Galician tradition, bad spirits wait for their moment to lay a curse on men and women, and the words spoken over the burning punch are meant to hold such spirits at a distance from everyone present. The spell is also held to confer special powers on the queimada itself and on those who drink it. The gathering has a social side as well: the company comes together around the container to lift its mood and draw closer as friends. No occasion is thought unsuitable; a party, a family meeting or an evening with friends will all do, and the night after dinner, in the dark, is named among the best times.

Who does it

The custom belongs to the household and to the circle of friends: the people who drink the queimada are the people who make it. Those taking part crowd around the pot, ideally in darkness, and one of them closes the process, reciting the spell while holding the flaming drink in a ladle and letting it pour slowly back in. The part of spell-speaker falls to any member of the company. The setting is domestic throughout: parties, family meetings and gatherings of friends, most often after dinner, when night has fallen and the flame shows at its best.

Peoples and places

Queimada belongs to Galicia, in northwest Spain, and its keepers are the Galicians. The custom is tied to the region's Celtic pagan festivals, and the Arabs and Moors of Spanish history and Spain's colonies in South America are named as further influences on the drink. Its fixed night is Saint John's Eve, June 23, kept in Galicia as witches' night. Beyond that date the rite keeps no strict calendar: all occasions are held to be good for it, a party, a family meeting or a gathering of friends. It lives at the table rather than in any temple, made by the company that will drink it.

What people believe

The rite rests on the idea that bad spirits move among people, waiting for their chance to lay a curse on men and women. The spell spoken as the punch is prepared is believed to confer special powers on the queimada and on all who drink it, and its purpose is to put distance between the drinkers and those spirits. Fire carries much of the meaning: the liquid is set alight and burns slowly as brandy is added, and the leader lifts the burning punch and returns it to the pot as the incantation ends. Darkness is preferred, so that the company gathered around the container can watch the flame.

When it is done

The rite keeps one fixed date: Saint John's Eve on June 23, a night Galicians call witches' night. At every other time the custom is easygoing: any occasion will serve, whether a party, a family meeting or an evening among friends. The best hours are late ones. The time after dinner, once night has fallen, is named as among the finest for a queimada: the company sits close around the pot in the dark, and the burning punch gives the gathering its light.

Days linked to Queimada

Questions people ask about Queimada

Good reading and sources

• Galicia’s mythic drink of blue fireBBC, Article

• Queimada (drink) on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data