Why is a bread roll called a 'Smurf' in Malaga?
The origin of the 'pitufo' can be traced back to two bakeries that are said to have coined the name in the early 1980s
The people of Malaga don't exactly speak a different language, but they do have words and expressions that are not in your average Spanish dictionary. In fact many locals from Malaga may have been met with a blank stare when ordering a 'Smurf' for breakfast anywhere else in the country. But here a 'Pitufo' is the name given to a small bread roll, something as exclusive to Malaga as the range of vocabularly for types of coffee - nube (cloud), sombra (shadow), mitad (half), etc. The latter system however, dating back to the post-war period, became better known over the years thanks to the famous explanatory tiled mural of coffees on the wall of the now closed Café Central in Malaga city centre.
But what about the Pitufo, a word invented for the Spanish version of the Schtroumpf, a character created by author Peyo that in English became a Smurf?
It's uncertain who started using the term for a bread roll, however professionals in the industry and collective memory point to it being between two bakeries, Mateo Luque and La Canasta. "We are very good friends and we have never got involved in this controversy," said Silvestre, Mateo Luque's son, referring to Antonio Cárdenas, founder of El Bambi, the bakery that was the seed that led to La Canasta.
This newspaper has tried to contact the latter but with no response, but the baker and business owner has commented on more than one occasion to colleagues and in an interview that he created the famous bun with his wife in search of a type of bread smaller than the usual bread roll, known as the Viena.
This was the exact same reason that Silvestre Luque recalls: "Normally, in cafes people asked for half a Viena because one was too big. So my father came up with the idea of making smaller buns out of Viena dough." "Maybe Antonio started making them earlier? I wouldn't know, it was in the early eighties, I don't remember the exact year we started," Silvestre Luque admitted with honesty.
There is no doubt though that it was Mateo Luque who popularised these bread rolls named after the little blue men: "At that time, cartoons were in fashion and my father associated the image of the Smurf with his bread roll; we put it up on posters and even on vans, especially with children in mind. Then they started to make them in other bakeries and and they started calling them that in bars, many of which we have delivered to daily for years."
"At that time, cartoons were in fashion and my father associated the image of the Smurf with his bread roll," said Silvestre Luque
It was only five months ago that Silvestre closed the bakery when he retired after four decades at the helm and with a very strong commitment to helping people in need. His father started the business in 1964 in Calle Churruca, from where they moved to Calle Tampa in the early eighties. It was there that they gave birth to the "pitufo", which today, is an indisputable reference at breakfast time in Malaga. And there is something for everyone: from classic white bread to soya, wholemeal or multigrain. Of course, the bread roll should be no bigger than 70 grams to be considered a Smurf.
Where to eat them
The filling is another matter. The most popular is the mixto (ham and cheese), but there are countless options. Some even turn it into a brunch rather than a breakfast. For example, the ones served at La Ñora (C/ Gerona 9, Cruz del Humilladero) are so full they are hard to close, with traditional options such as roast ham with semi-cured cheese, carne mechada (pork slow-cooked in lard) or sirloin steak with coloured lard, that will give you energy for the whole day.
If we're talking about hearty, the ones at Los Exagerados bar (C/ Aguilar and Cano 1 in El Palo) also aren't far behind: the roast leg, omelette, bacon, cheese and aioli roll can save the day. Another popular choice is the Iberian ham roll at El Ruiseñor (C/ Ruiseñores 13, Puerto de la Torre), which doesn't just have jamón inside but also on top (the house signature).
The pitufos at El Cafelito de Moy (Plaza San Francisco, Rincón de la Victoria) are also highly acclaimed, from the roast leg with white lard to the veal with melted cheddar, this bar has one of the most extensive menus in Malaga. Also recommended are the rolls at the cafeteria Tu Sitio (C/ Nuzas 22, Teatinos): tuna, pork loin, ham leg and fresh cheese. No matter what you choose, you can't go wrong.
And you can't talk about pitufo breakfasts without mentioning the Malaga 'salchichón' sausage at El Diamante (C/ Pozos Dulces 3, in the city centre) or the ones at Bar Mesón Paco that have been a hit for three years (Plaza de las Brigadas Internacionales 3, La Térmica area) which includes: tortilla with meat and aioli. These are some of the most outstanding, but the list is endless.
Peyo could never have imagined how successful his little blue creatures would be in Malaga, the place where you eat Smurfs and drink 'clouds'.
