A traditional bread baked for the spirits keeps KC bakery busy for Dia de los Muertos
Elvira’s Cakes bakery has been serving Kansas City area residents since 2003 with a diverse selection of breads, cakes, and pastries. As October comes to a close, owner Elvira Arizmendi is preparing for another year of Día de los Muertos by offering the traditional pan de muerto to the community.
The traditional bread, or pan de muerto, which translates in English to “bread of the dead,” is most often enjoyed only during this season, as it is an essential element of the Day of the Dead celebration, and Arizmendi considers it her favorite part.
“We sell a lot of different breads here,” said Arizmendi, who has been baking for more than 30 years. “The bread is the best part of the holiday and it is a special bread that we only make it for this reason.”
Día de los Muertos, isn’t Mexican Halloween. It’s a two-day celebration held on November 1 and 2, honoring the memory of family and loved ones who have passed away. Although the concept might appear somber to outsiders, the holiday is filled with joy rather than sorrow.
Emphasizing the spirit of remembrance, many of the traditional foods enjoyed during this celebration are sweet. Pan de muerto is flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, and topped with sugar. Its round shape features bulges that represent bones, meant to symbolize, some say, the cycle of life — that life is sweet and death is not to be feared.
The bread itself is fluffy and buttery, with a subtle sweetness.
Arizmendi said that some bakeries prepare pan de muerto for the week before the celebrations. However, at Elvira’s Cakes, 3838 Independence Avenue, Kansas City, this traditional bread is available the entire month of October in anticipation of November celebration.
“We sell a lot of pan muerto during the month because people can only get it during this time so we make sure we have it for the people,” said Arizmendi.
Maria Munoz stopped in at the bakery to grab some pastries and plans to pick up her pan de muerto next week. Munoz is a longtime resident of the Kansas City area and said Elvira’s is her go-to place for this special bread.
“It is something that most of us grew up with and have memories of our grandmothers baking it,” said Munoz. “It is like the way people eat pumpkin pie during thanksgiving.”
For the Dia de los Muertos recognition, every year Munoz and her family create an altar to honor their deceased loved ones. The alter is decorated with photos and mementos. Pan de muerto, drinks, and sweets are placed on the altar as offerings, or “ofrendas,” for the departed.
As the date draws near, Arizmendi notes that she typically experiences a surge of customers coming to buy the bread in the final week of October.
The bakery also offers beautifully decorated sugar skulls, or “calaveras de azúcar,” adorned with vibrant colored icing and bright sprinkles. The tradition is that the selection of the skull should coincide with the personality of the deceased loved one and some families make their own and personalize them with names and other identifying features. The skulls also decorate family altars.
“We have many people who come in for these for their altar for ofrendas too,” said Arizmendi, pointing to the sugar skulls. “The tradition is to remember our people who have died, in the bread and the sweets, to bring the person back to enjoy them.”
