What do you think of when someone says ‘breads of Mexico’? Perhaps tortilla or pita come to mind. The Mayan and Aztec peoples who lived in the region now known as Mexico were not making breads with wheat when the Spanish landed, they were making maize-based flat breads. The Spanish taught the indigenous peoples how to grind up wheat for bread making, and later on Mexicans added their own ingredients commonly used at the time. The result was several varieties of Mexican bread.
Cocol or Torito was the first bread to emerge. Made from wheat flour, milk and eggs it is shaped like a diamond before baking. The outcome is a relatively plain flat bread usually eaten with jam. Totopo is similar, but made from corn and harkens back to what the Mayans made before the Spanish landed. It is baked in a clay oven, salt is added during the mixing process to aid in preservation. Before baking the dough is shaped in rounds and small holes are punched through to aid in the baking process.
Cemita is a round bun usually used for sandwiches, and is common throughout Latin America. It looks similar to the Spanish torta, but is distinguished by the use of sesame seeds and egg wash. The roll may be different depending on which region of Mexico one is visiting, as some use sugar cane instead of sesame seeds. It can therefore become a sweet bread in parts of Mexico and savory meal in others.
Bolillo is another type of savory bun commonly made in Mexico, but is elongated in shape and split down the middle during the baking process. In appearance it is similar to the iconic Portuguese bun. This is the staple bread product in Mexico, usually available in white, whole wheat or flax varieties. Bunuelos are Mexican fritters of Spanish origin and considered an important dish in Mexican cuisine. A simple bread consisting of a wheat-based yeast dough rolled into small balls, fried and topped with sugar cane or honey. The bunuelos can sometimes be filled with cheese, bean curd or a vegetable such as yams.
Pan de Muerto is an important part of Mexican tradition as it is only made during the time leading up to celebrations for the Day of the Dead on November 2nd each year. It is a round loaf of sweetbread made with anise seed and decorated on top with bone shaped pieces of dough. When families travel to the grave sights of their loved ones they bring the Pan de Muerto with them as an offering to the deceased relatives. During the Day of Dead revelry the family eat the favorite foods of the person they are celebrating, including Pan de Muerto.
Surely now the phrase ‘breads of Mexico’ means so much more than it did 400 words ago! Mexico is a country made up of bits and pieces of many different cultures, and their breads are symbolic of that diversity. Next time you delve into a quesadilla, remember the tortilla actually originates from the totopo. Then impress your friends with your obscure knowledge on the breads of Mexico!
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