Pan dulce
Mexican bread names
Mexican pan dulce is named by shape, and the names are pure visual poetry: concha (shell), oreja (ear), cuernito (little horn), ojo de buey (ox eye), corbata (necktie), puerquito (little pig), bigote (moustache).
23 breads and pan dulce, with meanings
- Empanada de calabazaBread
pumpkin turnover
em-pah-NAH-dah deh kah-lah-BAH-sahSpanishSpanish empanada+de+calabazanationwide
Every name in one table
| Name | Means | Built from | Language | Say it | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banderilla | little flag | Spanish bandera+-illa | Spanish | bahn-deh-REE-yah | nationwide |
| Birote | Pirotte's bread | Spanish birote (probably from the surname Pirotte) | Spanish | bee-ROH-teh | Jalisco |
| Bísquet | biscuit | English biscuit (from Old French bescuit, 'twice-cooked') | Spanish | BEES-ket | nationwide |
| Bolillo | little ball | Spanish bola+-illo | Spanish | boh-LEE-yoh | nationwide |
| Campechana | woman from Campeche, or a mixture | Spanish campechano (easygoing, mixed) or Campeche (the Gulf state) + -ana | Spanish | kahm-peh-CHAH-nah | Mexico City |
| Cemita | fine-flour bread | Spanish acemita (bran bread), from Arabic samīd (fine white flour) | Arabic (via Spanish) | seh-MEE-tah | Puebla |
| Chilindrina | trifle, small thing | Spanish chilindrina (a trifle, a trinket, a small joke) | Spanish | chee-leen-DREE-nah | nationwide |
| Cocol | twisted or rhombus-shaped roll | cocolli (a twisting; also glossed as quarrel or blow) | Nahuatl | koh-KOL | central Mexico |
| Concha | shell | Spanish concha (seashell) | Spanish | KON-chah | nationwide |
| Corbata | necktie | Spanish corbata (necktie) | Spanish | kor-BAH-tah | nationwide |
| Cuernito | little horn | Spanish cuerno+-ito | Spanish | kwer-NEE-toh | nationwide |
| Empanada de calabaza | pumpkin turnover | Spanish empanada+de+calabaza | Spanish | em-pah-NAH-dah deh kah-lah-BAH-sah | nationwide |
| Garibaldi | Garibaldi, a surname | Italian surname Garibaldi (from Germanic gari 'spear' + bald 'bold') | Spanish | gah-ree-BAHL-dee | Mexico City |
| Mantecada | made with lard | Spanish manteca+-ada | Spanish | mahn-teh-KAH-dah | central Mexico |
| Novia | bride, girlfriend | Spanish novia (bride, girlfriend) | Spanish | NOH-vyah | nationwide |
| Ojo de buey | ox eye | Spanish ojo+de+buey | Spanish | OH-hoh deh BWAY | nationwide |
| Oreja | ear | Spanish oreja (ear) | Spanish | oh-REH-hah | nationwide |
| Pan de muerto | bread of the dead | Spanish pan+de+muerto | Spanish | pahn deh MWER-toh | nationwide |
| Polvorón | big crumbler | Spanish polvo+-orón | Spanish | pol-voh-RON | nationwide |
| Puerquito | little pig | Spanish puerco+-ito | Spanish | pwer-KEE-toh | nationwide |
| Rosca de reyes | kings' ring | Spanish rosca+de+reyes | Spanish | ROS-kah deh RAY-es | nationwide |
| Telera | oblong loaf | Spanish telera (an oblong loaf; the same word names the crossbar of a plough) | Spanish | teh-LEH-rah | Puebla |
| Trenza | braid | Spanish trenza (braid, plait) | Spanish | TREN-sah | nationwide |
1 of these names were formed in one of Mexico's indigenous languages rather than in Spanish. See how Nahuatl builds words.
Back to all Mexican food names.