A delicious fusion of ingredients born in Mexico 

Have you tried any?

As Mexicans, we’re experts in eating, and our world-famous gastronomy is proof of that. We’ve created dishes with our unique style, based on ingredients that other cultures have brought to Mexico, including Mexican sweet bread.

We’re ingenious and creative when it comes to making up new dishes and today, we’re discussing a delicacy that every Mexican has eaten: sweet bread!

In Mexico, the bakers use bicycles or cars to offer bread in the streets. We love bread so much that we even created songs to announce its arrival:

TIN TAN - El Panadero 

This is one of the many traditional ways Mexican bakers tour the streets to offer these delicious treats, but let's start from the beginning to find out how Mexican sweet bread was invented.

  -Ideal weight. 

  -Sold at prices set by the council. 

  -They had to be well cooked and dry, in order to be preserved.

The Spaniards brought wheat, the main ingredient for bread. However, the bread produced then was not like today's bread. Spaniards ran the first bakeries, and consumed the bread, turning this habit into a custom in society.

It was not until the French and Italians arrived in Mexico in the 17th and 18th centuries that us Mexicans began to explore new recipes with sugar and wheat as ingredients. That’s how the tradition of sweet bread was born in Mexico, with a wide variety of flavors and shapes.  

Two different kinds of Mexican bread were produced in 1567, and this depended on the type of flour used to make it:  

Flowery bread 

A much finer and whiter flour was used. This bread was baked for rulers and bishops. 

Basso Bread 

This kind of bread was for the working class, and the bakers used wheat bran to make it.  The name of this bread originated the now called “pambazo”, a Mexican dish prepared with chorizo, potato, sauce chili, lettuce, sour cream, and shredded cheese. 

The Mexican bakery   

The Mexican bakery is recognized as one of the most creative in the world, and according to the National Chamber of the Mexican Bakery Industry, in Mexico, there are more than 1,200 kinds of sweet bread and 400 kinds of salty bread. 

This is not surprising since each corner of Mexico has its own baking customs and traditions, such as:

Mexican baking creativity is not only present in the ingredients, but also in the name given to each of these breads: chilindrinas, ojos de buey, conchas, cubilete, cuernito, oreja, gendarme, bigote, polvorón, borrachos, cocoles, garibaldis, and many more. 

Now, after this little cultural brief on Mexican bread, I share with you ten sweet pieces of bread you should try while in Mexico:

1.- Concha 

This bread is Mexico's favorite; you can find recipes of all flavors. Its origin goes back to the first brioches that arrived in Mexico, with the French. They began to be manufactured in the 19th century.

2.- Mantecada (Shortbread) 

This unique sweet bread has its origin in a legend that dates to the 19th century, when a nun named Sister Maria Josefa González Prieto abandoned her vows to flee with the recipe, since this bread was prepared to delight her entire congregation.

3.- Ojo de Buey (Ox's eye) 

It can be said that us Mexicans adopted this delicacy from Asia, since a Chinese army cook created it.

4.- Chilindrina 

This bread is very similar to the famous concha. Its name derives from what jokes were called long ago: chilindrinas. This bread resulted from an error in the recipe, and the chef was so amused by his mark that he named it like this.

5.- Cubilete 

Named for its truncated cone shape, which is present in the popular dice game, “cubilete”. 

6.- Cuernito (Croissant)  

Another of Mexico's favorites. This bread has a French origin and can be enjoyed in many ways: with jam, butter, chocolate, stuffed with cheese, or plain.

7.- Garibaldi 

This was a gift from the Italian confectioner Giovanni Laposse. At 21, he came to Mexico to work at the El Globo Tea Room. Due to conflicts during the Mexican Revolution, he left the country. However, he returned to reopen El Globo and gifted us his bread with coquitos named Garibaldi, in honor of Giuseppe Garibaldi.

8.- Brick 

This delicious bread is made with the leftovers of ground bread and mixed with piloncillo. Often, it presents a chocolate cover as decoration.

9.- Oreja  

This bread originated during the government of Porfirio Díaz and was created by the president’s favorite bakery. At first, it was only baked for the high spheres of politics, but over time, its consumption became popular among the population.

10.- Rebanada con mantequilla  

This bread is undoubtedly an exquisite combination since it's the perfect pairing for a delicious coffee or chocolate.

After all this, there’s only one thing left for me to say: I want a concha! I hope you enjoyed this blog, and if you want a part two, let me know in the comments.