The origins of Doña Pepa's Toffee are linked to this month, called the Purple Month, or the P紫urple, in Lima, Peru. It is during this time that a massive religious procession takes place in the historic center of the city.
The Lord of Miracles, painted on a wall in the Las Nazarenas Church in the Pachacamilla district, in what is now downtown Lima, is the most venerated image of Christ on the Peruvian coast.
A liturgical celebration
Every October, tens of thousands visit the Las Nazarenas church, and on selected dates, they march the image through the streets of downtown Lima in passionate displays of devotion.
The association between Doña Pepa's Toffee and The Lord of Miracles comes from the fact that the slave Josefina Marmanillo, also known as Doña Pepa, suffered from paralysis in her arms and legs but traveled to Lima hoping for a miracle.
The Lord of Miracles
After much prayer to the Lord of Miracles and asking for help with her paralysis, she was miraculously cured and regained the use of her arms and legs.
In honor and as a token of gratitude, the next day Doña Pepa walked among the crowd at Las Nazarenas and began distributing this sacred sweet to everyone.
Since then, it became her tradition to return to Lima every October and share the classic sweet now known as Doña Pepa's Toffee.
