The highest inflation of the decade is having a negative impact on Spanish households, especially on the price of essential products and services. Added to all this is now a war between countries that were the main exporters of some of these products. And, therefore, they have become even more expensive. The greatest increase has been experienced by olive oil, followed by milk, eggs and bread. It would be necessary to add the increase in the price of gas and electricity.
A Molotov cocktail that has been primed with the star dessert of Holy Week: French toast. This year, the most expensive in history.
The biggest price increase. Blame it on inflation. Nothing more and nothing less than an unusual 10%. According to an estimate by EAE Business School, the price of this sweet will rise by a total of 16.8% this year. This is due to the fact that it has been chaining two consecutive months of increases: in February, whose CPI rose by 7.6%; and March, which registers a rise of 9.8%.
In addition, it should be noted that the greatest increase has been suffered by essential products such as olive oil, which in February was 30.6% more expensive than in 2021. Also milk, whose price has risen by 9.3%; eggs, which have registered a rise of 6.6%; and bread, 6.4%. In other words, all the ingredients of this traditional recipe have increased in price.
Make French toast, squeeze your pocket. Thus, if last year enjoying this typical sweet cost 0.865 euros, it has gone to 1.01 euros. In addition, the increase in electricity rates, 80.5% more compared to 2021, establishes that, on average, the price of French toast has grown by 16.8%, determining the most expensive French toast in history.
The consumer who wants to enjoy this iconic Spanish dessert could save by varying the recipe using sunflower oil. But despite the shortage in many supermarkets and shops, according to IPC data for February, its price has also increased by 32.2% compared to 30.6% for the olive variety. The international context and the war in Ukraine have caused the rise in sunflower oil to be 178%.
Also gas for cooking. Everything is against us. The experts at also suggest using natural gas when cooking, since, in February, its price increase was lower, 12.1%, compared to 80.5% of electricity, necessary in glass-ceramic kitchens or induction. The professor at EAE Business School, Pablo Contreras, pointed out: “The torrijas are made following a simple, humble recipe and with ingredients that are common in our kitchens. The rise in prices of the torrija is very indicative of the variation in the price of consumer goods. first necessity, that the data indicates that it is being more than double that of the CPI”.
Desperate pastry chefs and bakers. Confectioners and bakers, who are the last link in the chain, those who manufacture and sell directly and ultimately to the public, have exposed the problem with real data: “We spend 300 liters of sunflower oil a week. Now You call the supplier yourself and the only thing that can serve you is 25 liters a week. Of course, with 25 liters a week we don’t produce anything. We can hardly fill even the pan,” explained Jonatan Yagüe, manager of La Oriental Pastry Shops, who He assures that since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the increase in the price of oil and the shortage of supplies have caused them to not be able to have the service they need.
Despite the fact that they are pulling from the stock that they still have, now a high season is coming for pastry shops, with Easter just around the corner, and the sector is alert to what is to come if a quick solution is not found.