On the eve of the 9 d’Octubre, Day of the Comunitat Valenciana, the Mocadorà already begins to fill the windows of all pastry shops and bakeries in Valencia. And this 2025 there is one that does it better than the rest, according to the Guild of Bakers and Confectioners of Valencia: David Esteve Pastisseria.
This establishment in Burriana Street has been crowned this Thursday as the winner of the Best Mocadorà 2025. The bakery has achieved a double by also receiving the first prize in the category of Commercial Ornamentation, dedicated to the best shop windows on the occasion of the Valencian festival.
In this edition, the jury was composed of master confectioners, consumer associations and members of the School of Fine Arts.
On the podium of the Best Mocadorà have accompanied David Esteve Pastisseria the Pastelería Galán de Albal (second prize) and the Horno San Antonio de San Antonio de Benagéber ( third prize). These two establishments have exchanged their positions in the category of Ornamentation.
The origin of the Mocadorà
Although today it is a gesture of love, the origin of the Mocadorà is a story of ingenuity in the face of censorship. The tradition dates back to the 13th century, but was consolidated after the War of Succession, when the Nueva Planta Decrees prohibited the Valencian people from celebrating the entry of Jaume I into the city by throwing firecrackers.
In response, the master confectioners of the time created sweets in the shape of those banned rockets, the piulets and tronadors.
To these were added marzipans in the shape of fruits and vegetables in homage to the Valencian orchard. Wrapped in a handkerchief (mocador), these sweets became the symbol of a festivity throughout the Valencian Community.