La Capirotada, the Mexican Lenten dessert that evokes family tradition

Increasingly rare on Mexican tables, the capirotada is the quintessential dessert of the Lenten season in the country, not only because of its variety of flavors and textures, but because it evokes childhood and family tradition.

It is believed that the capirotada has its origins in Spain and that it was brought to Mexico after the Conquest. The unique recipe was adapted with some of the ingredients of Mexican cuisine that transformed it from a savory and meaty dish to a dessert that is served regularly on Fridays of Lent or on holy days for the Catholic religion.

To try the capirotada is to share moments, it is —for Mexicans— to return to childhood and at the time of grandmothers.

Therefore, Paloma Corral, a nutritionist and pastry chef, told the agency EFE that this is one of his favorite desserts:

Juan Lozano owns a travel agency and this year he was encouraged to prepare a family recipe for capirotada for the first time. Between pieces of bread and dried fruits, he told EFE that every Lent does not miss the opportunity to try this dessert although made by other hands.

He assured that the greatest charm of this dessert is that everyone collaborates in its realization, although it is moms or grandmothers who give them that unique touch even though the recipe is, in theory, the same as others.

“The theme of the capirotada with my grandparents and others was a family theme in which we all came together, but beyond that is that mix of flavors. In addition to preserving our roots, the sense of company, of sharing, when grandmothers did it was an immense amount that was shared with neighbors and that is the most important part,” he said.

VARIETY OF TEXTURES

The traditional recipe for the capirotada is based on pieces of bread bathed with a piloncillo (panela) honey, cloves, cinnamon, cheese and raisins. In some places, finely chopped onion and tomato are added to that honey to intensify the flavor, and there are those who put rompope (alcoholic drink similar to punch) and others a little cow's milk.

The bread is put in a saucepan and bathed in honey or syrup while an infinite number of ingredients are added: from traditional raisins and cheese to melt, to nuts, colored sweets, pastry cream, pine nuts, nuts or even rum.

It is said that bread symbolizes the body of Christ and honey symbolizes his blood.

The result is an explosion of flavors and textures that range from salty to sweet or from soft to crispy. This variety is perhaps one of the virtues of this dish, which is usually accompanied by a glass of milk or a cup of well-charged coffee.

Elizabeth Alvarado is a young chef who wanted to innovate in the recipe for this dessert. Pineapple, caramel, milk and a bread made with piloncillo were the variants of its preparation that won one of the first places in a competition organized by the boutique hotel Villa Ganz in Guadalajara (western Jalisco state), as a way to rescue this tradition.

Although it is less and less common in Mexican homes, the capirotada is still a relevant dessert at this time of year when gastronomy.

“It is not to lose Mexican traditions and so that our children, who are now young, when they grow up also remember these flavors and share them with their loved ones,” said pastry chef Paloma Corral.