Sant Jordi cake and bread are the gastronomic highlights of St George's Day in Cataonia and, on the days round 23 April, you can find them in any cake or bread shop in Barcelona.

The pastís de Sant Jordi is shaped like a book and consists of layers of sponge cake made with sugar, almond and egg. These layers are separated by chocolate. The top layer, which represents the book cover, is coated with glazed sugar and a symbol of the day: Sant Jordi, a dragon, a rose, a senyera, etc.

This cake was introduced in the 1940s and 50s but its origins can be found in a thirteenth-century recipe for a cake made with the rectangular base of a braç de gitano, or Swiss roll, filled with cream, egg yoke and truffle, and decorated with the four stripes of the Catalan flag and a Sant Jordi figure.

Finally, some savoury food: the pa de Sant Jordi. This rustic loaf is made with sobrassada, a pork sausage from Majorca, and cheese in such a way that, when you slice it, you can see the four stripes of the senyera. The Barcelona baker Eduard Crespo came up with the idea and it was popularised by the bakers' guild, the Gremi de Flequers de Barcelona, who had been looking for a Sant Jordi loaf for some time. In fact, it has become so popular that it can be found on other important dates, such as Catalonia's national day, 11 September, and Barcelona's patron saint's day, La Mercè, on 24 September.