I remember being a young girl of about seven or eight and heading to the panaderia with my abuelito on the weekends. He loved to buy fresh baked breads and he knew I adored the scents of that delicious bakery. Every October, the bakers would make room in their display case for “pan de muerto,” and every once in a while my grandfather would buy a couple for us to share on our leisurely walk back home. A few days into November, this sweet treat would disappear and not re-emerge again until next October.
I didn’t know then that this sweet bread was part of the Día de los Muertos tradition in which families everywhere pay tribute via oferandas (altars) to their deceased loved ones. Pan de muerto is a common dessert treat either offered on an altar or to be paired with cafe de olla and enjoyed while honoring our deceased loved ones.
