Pambazo

Pambazos for sale in Mexico City
Pambazos being prepared in Mexico City

Pambazo ( pamˈbaso ) is the name of a Mexican white bread. It is also the name of the dish or antojito (very similar to the torta) made with this bread dipped in a red guajillo pepper sauce and filled with papas con chorizo (potatoes with chorizo).

The bread used for pambazos is white and lacks a crispy crust. This particular bread is made of flour, lard, eggs, and is tougher and drier than the similar bolillo (also used for sandwiches), which allows it to retain its shape while being soaked in sauce. Pambazos are usually found in Mexican bakeries where they are sold just as any other white bread. However, since its exterior surface is a bit dry and fragile, is usually reserved for other uses than a meals companion.

It is unclear since when or why the pambazo is prepared and filled in a very specific way. While other similar dishes changed the fillings or toppings, the pambazo recipe remains almost the same. The bread is first filled with the potato & chorizo, & then dipped in warm red guajillo pepper sauce which gives the bread its notorious orange-red sprinkled coloration. Once the bread has been soaked, it is passed on to fry in a bit of oil. The pambazo is to fry on the top & bottom of the bread. The pambazo is ready whenever the bread being fried becomes crispy on both sides. It is then garnished with shredded lettuce, salsa (sauce), crema (cream), and queso fresco (fresh cheese).

In the Mexican State of Veracruz, the pambazo is also partially covered with white flour, and ham or polish meat are also used instead of the traditional potatoes and chorizo. In other regions, pambazos are filled with meat, vegetables or cheese. In Mexican parties or social events, small sized pambazos are served instead of canapes. These are known as pambacitos, which literally means "little pambazo".

History

The pambazo bread got his name from the pan basso or low class bread from Mexico's viceregal period. During that period, there were bakeries in Mexico dedicated solely to this type of bread named 'panbasserias' (pambacerías).

"On this type of bread, inferior quality flour or flour from deteriorated wheat were mixed to produce the pan basso. Bakeries produced minimal quantities of pan basso, a maximum of 4% of all flour in Mexico City"
Virginia García Acosta, Las panaderías, sus dueños y trabajadores. Ciudad de México. Siglo XVIII.

Reception

The Daily Meal reviewed the pambazo with "it’s insanely delicious" in their article "12 Life-Changing Sandwiches You've Never Heard Of".[1]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Dan Myers (27 February 2015). "12 Life-Changing Sandwiches You've Never Heard Of". The Daily Meal. Retrieved 2015-03-03.

References

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