From Masa to Pan Dulce: The Cultural History of Bread in Mesoamerica and Mexico

Summary

This essay traces the deep history of bread in Mesoamerica and Mexico, from pre-Columbian maize-based masa and tortillas to the introduction of wheat by Spanish colonizers, and the evolution of panadería culture including bolillos, conchas, pan dulce, and pan de muerto. It explores how conquest, religion, ritual, and cultural fusion shaped Mexican bread traditions, emphasizing the centrality of maize as a sacred Indigenous food and the later syncretism with European wheat breads.