MEXICO CITY (AP) 鈥� The first bite is an assault to the senses. A sugary, citric, fluffy delight.
鈥淧an de muerto鈥� or 鈥渂read of the dead鈥� is baked in Mexico every year, from early October to mid-November, amid celebrations.
Shaped like a bun, decorated with bone-like bread pieces and sugar on top, pan de muerto can be seen at coffee shops, dinner tables or home-made altars, loved ones and welcome them back .
Its date of origin can鈥檛 be specified, but pan de muerto can be thought of as a fusion of Mesoamerican and Spanish traditions, said Andr茅s Medina, a researcher at the Anthropological Research Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
Mexicans have remembered the dead with festivities and food for centuries
Since pre-Hispanic times, festivities for the dead have existed and skull-shaped products have been made. But in the 1500s, when the Spaniards arrived, new elements such as sugar and bread were incorporated into Indigenous offerings.
Those early celebrations, Medina said, coincided with the crop season, which provides pan de muerto a spiritual, symbolic meaning. If its decorations resemble bones, it鈥檚 because Mesoamerican worldviews regarded them as the origin of life.
According to an ancient myth, Quetzalc贸atl created humankind out of bones. Details vary from one source to another, but soon after the god apparently stole them from the underworld, he fell. And from his blood, the seed of life was born.
鈥淯nder this worldview, the human body鈥檚 bones, just like the fruit鈥檚 insides, are seeds,鈥� Medina said. 鈥淪o, in a way, altars are offerings to fertility. And Day of the Dead is a celebration of the life contained in each seed.鈥�
Pan de muerto鈥檚 shape, ingredients and preparations differ from one Mexican state to another, but is enjoyed all over the country.
100 and counting: One man鈥檚 quest to try every variation of 鈥減an de muerto鈥�
In Mexico City, hundreds of bakeries make their own version. Rodrigo Delgado has spent years trying to taste them all.
For fun, he challenges himself to try as many as possible and review them on . On his first quest, a decade ago, he tried 15. In 2023, he had a bite of 100. This year, he expects to taste at least 110.
鈥淚 like pan de muerto because of what it means during Day of the Dead season,鈥� said Delgado, who also reviews local restaurants on his blog, . 鈥淭he mix of flavors of the bread, as much as its texture, are very comforting.鈥�
He can鈥檛 remember the first time he tried pan de muerto, but he treasures the memories of his mother baking it at home. He and his brother used to knead the dough, he said, and shape the bone-like decorations of its top.
Baking pan de muerto is not an easy task. At , in Mexico City's San Rafael neighborhood, owner Manu Tovar said that having these sweet buns ready for sale takes three days of work: one to extract the infusions that will provide the bread with its flavor, another to incorporate them into the dough and one more day to knead and shape the buns.
There鈥檚 no secret in his recipe, Tovar said. The ingredients 鈥� although seasonal 鈥� are simple: orange blossom, tangerine zest, anise and butter.
His special touch, what makes his bread unique, is the sourdough. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an ancestral process,鈥� Tovar said. 鈥淎 millenary way to make bread.鈥�
The sourdough that he and four assistants use is 20 years old. He incorporates water and flour daily, to keep it alive, and mixes part of it with new dough. This gives the bread a better taste, he said, and makes it easier to digest.
Pan de muertos' seasonal flavors help make it special
For years, said Tovar, he resisted the temptation of baking pan de muerto in early October. The quality of the ingredients improves as November gets closer, but customers kept asking when the buns would be ready, so he caved.
This season, aside from baking 90 pan de muertos per day, he came up with two new creations: a croissant roll filled with marigold cream and a bun 鈥� locally known as 鈥渃oncha鈥� 鈥� shaped like a marigold flower and prepared with tangerine instead of vanilla or chocolate.
鈥淚f you bake it in a traditional way, you can only have pan de muerto now, because that鈥檚 when the fruit is available," Tovar said. "That鈥檚 what I think makes it so special.鈥�
The ambience of the Day of the Dead season, he added, also plays a role. Nightfall comes earlier during this time of year and there鈥檚 certain mysticism, a particular feeling in the air.
鈥淚t probably has to do with the melancholy of what this festivity means,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or one day a year, you can feel closer to those who are no longer with you.鈥�
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Mar铆a Teresa Hern谩ndez, The Associated Press
