Care for a sweet treat during Mexico's Day of the Dead? Have a bite of 'pan de muerto'
“Pan de muerto," or “bread of the dead,” is freshly baked in Mexico ahead of Day of the Dead celebrations
By MARÍA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ
Published - Oct 29, 2024, 08:02 AM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 05:54 PM EST
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The first bite is an assault to the senses. A sugary, citric, fluffy delight.
“Pan de muerto” or “bread of the dead” is baked in Mexico every year, from early October to mid-November, amid Day of the Dead 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, which Mexicans build to remember their deceased loved ones and welcome them back for a night on Nov. 2.
Its date of origin can’t be specified, but pan de muerto can be thought of as a fusion of Mesoamerican and Spanish traditions, said Andrés Medina, a researcher at the Anthropological Research Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
