Concha sold in Mexico City | |
Place of origin | Mexico |
---|---|
Associated cuisine | Mexican cuisine |
Concha (Spanish, 'shell'), plural conchas, is a traditional Mexican sweet bread roll ( pan dulce ) with similar consistency to a brioche. [1] Conchas get their name from their round shape and their striped, seashell-like appearance. A concha consists of two parts, a sweetened bread roll, and a crunchy topping (composed of flour, butter, and sugar); [2] With the most common crunchy topping flavors being chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. [3] Conchas are commonly found throughout Mexico (and its diaspora) in panaderias. They can now also be found in grocery stores and bakeries across the United States. [4]
The exact origin of the concha is unknown. Many believe that it dates back to the colonial period, and was introduced by French bakers who settled in Mexico. [2] [3] It is also believed that the idea came from a nobleman that dipped a piece of bread into some hot chocolate in front of many people and told them they should do it too. [3]
The first recorded recipe for the sweet bread is from 1820. [5] Through migration, the sweet bread has spread through Central, South, and North America. [2]
Conchas are regularly eaten for breakfast and are paired with drinks like milk or coffee. They are also often times used in place of bread for some sandwiches. [6] Along with being a common household snack, conchas are also used in some Mexican holidays as well. One such example is the Day of the Dead, where Mexican families celebrate and honor their loved ones by creating an altar or ofrenda for them and leave various food, pastries, and decorations on it. [7] Conchas are depicted among the foods on the highly decorated ofrenda in the 2017 animated film Coco.
In recent years, conchas have gained visibility outside of Mexico. A "concha bun burger" won the James Beard Foundation's Blended Burger Project in 2016. [8] With many bakeries reimagining the concept of a concha, the sweet bread has also received a high amount of attention on social media. [9] Conchas have become a symbol of Mexican-American identity. The image can be found in art and merchandise all over.
Conchas can now be found packaged in grocery stores across Central, South, and North America. [4]
To make the bread portion of a concha, most recipes require: yeast, butter, flour, oil, sugar, evaporated milk, salt, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and eggs. To make the topping, one would need sugar, butter, flour, and vanilla extract. [10] [11]
To begin making a concha, the first step would be to mix your ingredients together for the bread. Once the dough comes to a smooth consistency, place the dough in a slightly oiled bowl and cover it with a damp cloth. After letting it sit in a room that's approximately 70 degrees fahrenheit for an hour, refrigerate it overnight to make the dough easier to mold later on. Then, let it sit in room temperature for an hour while you mix the ingredients for the topping. Next, to make the traditional size conchas, split the dough in half and roll the dough into balls. Then, grab a gumball size amount of the topping and flatten it to fit the dome before placing it on top of the dough. Finally, cut curved grooves across the top of the toppings and it'll be ready to bake. [10] [12]
Some places around the world have their own pastries that are similar to the concha. For example, the Japanese melonpan is made from a similar base with a hard sweet crust, although the creator did not draw inspiration from the concha. They slightly differ in that the melonpan is scored to resemble a melon and generally has a crispier exterior. [13]
Another similar pastry is the pineapple bun, which is a sweet bun that originated in Hong Kong. The pineapple bun was created by a family-owned restaurant in the 1940s, having drawn inspiration from the look of conchas by scoring the sweet bread to look similar to a pineapple skin. [13]
Pastry refers to a variety of doughs, as well as the sweet and savoury baked goods made from them. These goods are often called pastries as a synecdoche, and the dough may be accordingly called pastry dough for clarity. Sweetened pastries are often described as bakers' confectionery. Common pastry dishes include pies, tarts, quiches, croissants, and pasties.
A Danish pastry is a multilayered, laminated sweet pastry in the viennoiserie tradition. It is thought that some bakery techniques were brought to Denmark by Austrian bakers, and originated the name of this pastry. The danish recipe is however different from the Viennese one and has since developed into a Danish specialty.
A fritter is a portion of meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, or other ingredients which have been battered or breaded, or just a portion of dough without further ingredients, that is deep-fried. Fritters are prepared in both sweet and savory varieties.
Salvadoran cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of El Salvador. The indigenous foods consist of a mix of Amerindian cuisine from groups such as the Lenca, Pipil, Maya Poqomam, Maya Chʼortiʼ, Alaguilac and Cacaopera peoples. Many of the dishes are made with maize (corn). There is also heavy use of pork and seafood. European ingredients were incorporated after the Spanish conquest.
Melonpan, also called melon bun or melon bread, is a Japanese sweetbun covered in a layer of crispy cookie dough. The texture resembles that of a melon, such as a cantaloupe. They are not traditionally melon flavored.
A pineapple bun is a kind of sweet bun predominantly popular in Hong Kong and also common in Chinatowns worldwide. Despite the name, it does not traditionally contain pineapple; rather, the name refers to the look of the characteristic topping.
Czech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries and nations. Many of the cakes and pastries that are popular in Central Europe originated within the Czech lands. Contemporary Czech cuisine is more meat-based than in previous periods; the current abundance of farmable meat has enriched its presence in regional cuisine. Traditionally, meat has been reserved for once-weekly consumption, typically on weekends.
Kue is an Indonesian bite-sized snack or dessert food. Kue is a fairly broad term in Indonesian to describe a wide variety of snacks including cakes, cookies, fritters, pies, scones, and patisserie. Kue are made from a variety of ingredients in various forms; some are steamed, fried or baked. They are popular snacks in Indonesia, which has the largest variety of kue. Because of the countries' historical colonial ties, Koeé (kue) is also popular in the Netherlands.
Cardamom breads, including the Finnish pulla and Swedish kardemummabröd and kardemummabullar, are a group of enriched breads or pastry flavored with cardamom. They are eaten throughout the year, typically with coffee or tea.
Kürtőskalács is a spit cake specific to Hungarians from Transylvania, more specifically the Székelys. Originally popular in the Székely Land, it became popular in both Hungary and Romania. The first written record dates back to 1679 and was found in the village of Úzdiszentpéter, while the first recipe appears in a manuscript cookbook dated in 1781. Earlier a festive treat, now it is part of everyday consumption. A similar pastry to kürtőskalács is Baumstriezel, originating in the Transylvanian Saxon communities.
Pan dulce, literally meaning "sweet bread", is the general name for a variety of Mexican pastries. They are inexpensive treats and are consumed at breakfast, merienda, or dinner. The pastries originated in Mexico following the introduction of wheat during the Spanish conquest of the Americas and developed into many varieties thanks to French influences in the 19th century.
Swabian cuisine is native to Swabia, a region in southwestern Germany comprising great parts of Württemberg and the Bavarian part of Swabia. Swabian cuisine has a reputation for being rustic, but rich and hearty. Fresh egg pastas, soups, and sausages are among Swabia's best-known types of dishes, and Swabian cuisine tends to require broths or sauces; dishes are rarely "dry".
Soboro-ppang (Korean: 소보로빵), or gombo-ppang, often translated as soboro bread, soboro pastry, or soboro bun, and also known as Korean streusel bread, is a sweet bun with a streusel-like upper crust popular in Korea. The bun is made of flour, sugar, eggs, and dough and baked with a crisp, bumpy surface on top. The word "soboro" is a Japanese word which refers to the streusel topping of the bun, which is often made with peanut butter as a key ingredient. Soboro refers to fried and minced meat or fish in Japanese, which resembles the streusel on top of the bread.