Cochinito de piloncillo facts for kids
Cochinitos sold by a street vendor at a fair in Cuajimalpa, Mexico City
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| Alternative names | Marranitos, cochinitos and puerquitos |
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| Type | Bread |
| Place of origin | Mexico |
| Associated national cuisine | Mexican breads, pan dulce |
Cochinitos de piloncillo, also known as marranitos, cochinitos and puerquitos (all meaning "little pigs" in Spanish), are a typical Mexican sweet bread (pan dulce) made with "piloncillo"—a type of sweetener made from sugar cane. Cochinitos are popular in bakeries in Mexico and throughout the US.
Cochinitos de piloncillo were oven-cooked for the first time in Veracruz state during the sixteenth century. The name comes from the animal they have the shape of: the pig. When they conquered and colonized Mexico, the Spaniards introduced a series of new animals such as horses, cows, sheep, donkeys, and pigs. Those animals were completely strange to the Prehispanic people and later on, when they learned how to make bread they started to experiment with new ingredients using different types of shapes in the bread they baked.
See also
In Spanish: Chichimbré para niños
