Chef Mike explores those wonderful Spanish sweet breads
If you’re a fan of pastries, sweet breads, cookies and cakes, take my hand and let’s explore the fantastical world of pan dulce. “Come with me, and you’ll be, in a world of pure imagination…”
Pan dulce simply means “sweet bread” in Spanish, but there are over 2,000 varieties that span every size, shape, color and flavor imaginable. Almost every Latin market in the city has a selection of pan dulces, and some have large display cabinets with a baffling, but hypnotizingly beautiful array of pastries, cookies, and colorful, sugar-topped breads beckoning you, calling out for you to grab a tray, a set of tongs, and start grabbing one of everything.
For the full, sugar coma experience, visit one of the panaderias (Mexican/Guatemalan bakeries) in town such as Gordos on Brainerd Road or Brea Bakery on Ringgold Road and go full Augustus Gloop. There’s no chocolate river, so you’ll be safe.
Newbies to the pan dulce experience, or even experienced explorers of the Mexican sweet bread arts, can easily become confused and overwhelmed by the selection. With 2,000 possible answers to, “What is that?” it helps to have a guide. So I’ve prepared a quick guide to some of the most common pan dulces that also happen to be my favorites. But the best plan of action when encountering unknown pan dulces is to just eat them—they’re all delicious except that one that’s filled with toothpaste and jalapeños—don’t buy that one.
Concha: These are easily the most iconic and popular of all pan dulces. They are the big, seashell patterned pastries with what looks like colorful, cracked icing on top. In reality, these beautiful creations are cinnamon, vanilla or chocolate bread, topped cookie dough in the shape of a seashell. You’ll often see conchas in colors like bright pink or yellow, but regardless of the color they will always have that same seashell shape and addictive flavor.
Oreja: These ear shaped (Oreja is Spanish for ear), thin, flakey pastries aren’t too sweet, but are slightly sticky and sometimes come covered with a thin glaze. Oreja’s are similar to French palmiers, except the French think they look like a butterfly or palm leaf shape. Oreja’s date back to at least 1930, and have been served with coffee, milk, or hot chocolate for decades as a part of a complete breakfast.
Mantecada: Although the original from Spain is typically cooked in a loaf shape, the Mexican mantecada looks like a muffin, if you made a muffin with an unholy amount of butter, lard, and eggs. The flavor is similar to pound cake or sometimes a bit like a French madeleine cake. If you’re lucky, you may find some flavored with chocolate or sprinkled with nuts.
Chamuco: Oh how I love this cream cheese or fruit filled cousin of the concha. Chamucos are made from the same ingredients as the famous conchas, but instead of being fluffy, chamucos are flat with a large circle of sugar paste, cream cheese, or fruit in the middle. They look a lot like (and taste similar to) a Danish pastry, but chamucos have a lot more of what we all know we want – filling in the middle.
Cochito: Spanish for “little piggy,” these thick, cake-like gingerbread cookies are shaped like—wait for it—a pig. I say these are a gingerbread cookie, but in fact there is no ginger in them. Cochitos get their flavor from molasses and cinnamon and traditional bakeries will even boil brown sugar to make their own molasses syrup. Pro tip: Some folks call cochitos, marranitos, puerquitos, or cochinos.
Galletas: This is the general name for all those Mexican cookies that line the display case—they’re big, colorful and freaking delicious. Galletas come in tons of colors, shapes and can be decorated with cartoon characters or wild designs.
But don’t think they are just for kids; they are the second-most popular pan dulce just behind the concha. In spite of the variety of colors and shapes, most of them taste pretty much the same with the exception of the cochito mentioned above. Galletas are essentially a shortbread style cookie that is packed with enough butter, sugar, and sweet toppings to send you straight into a sugar coma. A sweet, sweet sugar coma.
These six examples barely scratch the surface of the wonderland that is a case full of pan dulces. Stop into your neighborhood Latin market or panaderia and indulge yourself. You deserve it.
“Don’t forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted…he lived happily ever after.” — Willie Wonka
Mike McJunkin is a native Chattanoogan who has traveled abroad extensively, trained chefs, and owned and operated restaurants. Join him on Facebook at facebook.com/SushiAndBiscuits