We don’t think of scones being Mexican. They originated in Britain, most likely Scotland, around the 1500s, as a type of sweet bread made with oatmeal or wheat flour. They soon became a staple of afternoon tea, in either sweet or savory varieties.
We may have the British to thank for introducing the concept of scones to Mexico, but we can’t forget the Chinese. The Chinese? Yes! In the latter part of the 19 th century, Chinese immigrated to the northern part of Mexico to work on the railroads. They settled here and introduced their culinary practices, including making sweet breads, to Mexicans.
The Mexicans took scones to a new level, improved them in many ways, and called them bisquets. They are usually enjoyed plain, although they may be filled with sweet or savory ingredients. But they are less sweet than their Western counterpart, since Mexicans seem to prefer a less sugary profile in their sweet, baked goods.
And they love to enjoy these with a piping cup of rich Mexican coffee or hot chocolate. The so-called concha, which is very popular here, is a sweet roll made with a crunchy top composed of flour, sugar and butter, which may be flavored and colorful. They are a staple of Mexican sweet breads and are featured in their bakeries, which brings us to the concha scone.
The concha scone evolved over time, incorporating the ingredients of the concha with scone-making techniques. So here we have a culinary delight that infuses the cultures of Britain, China and Mexico, in.
