Editor's note: This story was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat Bright gold marigolds, beautifully adorned calacas (skeleton figures ), and sweet pan de muerto are commonly associated with Día de Los Muertos celebrations, but most people don’t know that there are different regional ways to make the seasonal bread. Shortly after opening La Sureñita Bakery on 4th Street in 2015, Bernardo Cortez was excited to offer his very own pan de muerto during the season. He was using a traditional recipe from his home state of Guerrero, Mexico, that utilizes oranges, but found that it wasn’t what folks near the 4th Street bakery were used to.
“We barely sold any our first year here,” Cortez said. “One of the local señoras from Puebla told us we needed to make one with guayabas (guava) and canela (cinnamon), and that she had a really good recipe for how to make it. We struck a deal, that as long as I’m alive we’d make her a personal platter of the pan every year in exchange for the recipe.
” Here are a few options in Boyle Heights with their own pan de muerto this season: Commonly referred to as hojaldras, this unique bread is a regional variant enjoyed in Puebla, Mexico. Though identical in appearance to the orange zest variant, its taste is quite distinct with the characteristic sweetness of the guayaba. Cortez says it’s not only a great way of acknowledging the large population of nearby residents with roots in Puebla, but also cost-effective, as the frui.