The story behind the rosca de reyes

Read in EnglishThe rosca de reyes is a delicious sweet bread consumed in Mexico and other countries on January 6th, as part of the celebrations for Three Kings' Day. In our country, the rosca is usually accompanied by drinks such as hot chocolate, atole, café de olla, or champurrado. At Kiwilimón, we tell you more about the history of this traditional bread, as experts say that there are very similar varieties in countries like the United States, France, Switzerland, Spain, and Belgium.What is the meaning of the rosca de reyes?The rosca de reyes is shared on January 6th, after Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltazar bring gifts to the children. This type of sweet bread is usually accompanied by a hot drink. The most exciting part of this celebration is that, when breaking the rosca, several people will find a small plastic figurine, which represents the baby Jesus. This fluffy bread usually has a flavor of vanilla or orange, then covered with small crusts made with butter and ate, figs, and cherries in syrup. However, nowadays there is a wide variety of roscas de reyes filled with cream cheese, chocolate, hazelnut cream, jam, and more. You can also read: Why is a rosca broken on Three Kings' Day?Regarding its meaning, the rosca is oval or round because it means that the love of God has no end, that is, it has no beginning or end, according to information published by the Agricultural and Fisheries Information Service. Inside the rosca de reyes, we can find several plastic figures of the baby Jesus, however, this represents one of the bloodiest episodes of the Bible: the massacre of young children by order of King Herod. This is why the children hide inside the bread, as if people were trying to protect and hide them. Once one or more people find a figurine when breaking the rosca, tradition dictates that they must prepare or buy tamales during Candlemas Day, which is celebrated on February 2nd.The origin of the rosca de reyesThis sweet bread is a classic and one of the favorite celebrations for young and old, however, the tradition did not originate in Mexico. The rosca de reyes began to be prepared in various European countries during the Middle Ages, but it did not arrive in our country until after colonization. After more than 100 years, we can now find all kinds of roscas de reyes. Next, we will tell you about two of the main antecedents of the Mexican rosca de reyes: the galette des rois from France and the roscón de reyes from Spain.You can also read: 8 rosca de reyes recipes to celebrate with familyGalette des roisThis delicious rosca de reyes originated in France in the 14th century. It can be found for sale from mid-December, but it is usually enjoyed on January 6th, Three Kings' Day, or throughout the month. The traditional galette des rois is made with puff pastry and filled with frangipane, a sweet filling made with pastry cream and almond cream. The most fun part of this celebration is that the person who finds a small porcelain figure inside the galette will wear a cardboard crown and be named king or queen for a day.Roscón de reyesThis Spanish version of the rosca de reyes is related to the Roman Saturnalia, a series of celebrations dedicated to the god Saturn. In those years, a special sweet bread was prepared for the occasion. Years later, the Spanish, like the French, began to introduce a bean inside the roscón, and once a child found it, they became king for a day. Unlike the galette des rois, the Spanish roscón de reyes is very similar to the rosca de reyes consumed in Mexico. The roscón is round and is adorned with candied fruit and sometimes filled with cream or other sweet fillings. You can also read: Rosca de Reyes in Stove