Pambazo facts for kids
Pambazos for sale in Mexico City
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| Type | Pambazo bread |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Mexico |
| Region or state | México city |
A pambazo is a delicious Mexican dish, often enjoyed as street food. It's a bit like a sandwich, but very unique! It uses a special bread called pambazo bread. This bread is dipped in a red guajillo pepper sauce and then fried. Pambazos are usually filled with a mix of potatoes and chorizo sausage, or sometimes just potatoes.
The bread used for pambazos is soft and white. It doesn't have a crunchy crust. This special bread is made from flour. It's softer than a bolillo, which is another type of Mexican bread used for sandwiches. Because it's soft, the pambazo bread can soak up the sauce without falling apart. You can often find this bread in Mexican bakeries.
It's not clear exactly when or why the pambazo is made in such a specific way. While other similar dishes have changed over time, the pambazo recipe has stayed pretty much the same.
First, the bread is filled with the potato and chorizo mix. Then, it's dipped in a warm red guajillo pepper sauce. This sauce gives the bread its famous orange-red color. After soaking, the bread is lightly fried in a little oil. It's fried on both the top and bottom until it becomes crispy. Once it's ready, a pambazo is often topped with shredded lettuce, salsa (sauce), crema (a type of cream), and queso fresco (fresh cheese).
In the Mexican State of Veracruz, pambazos are made a bit differently. The bread buns are left to rise, then pressed into wheat flour. They rise again and are baked. Once baked, the top of the bread stays dusty with flour. The bread is then sliced and filled with layers of mashed refried black beans mixed with chorizo. Other toppings include shredded lettuce, sliced chipotle peppers in adobo, and crumbled or cubed queso blanco or queso fresco. Sometimes, mayonnaise is spread inside. These sandwiches are often wrapped in napkins to keep hands clean. In other areas, pambazos might be filled with ham or a type of "Polish meat." At birthday parties or other events, smaller pambazos called "pambacitos" (meaning "little pambazos") are sometimes served instead of canapés.
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History of the Pambazo
The name "pambazo" comes from the Ladino word pan basso. This means "low-class bread" or "low bread." This name was used during Mexico's time as a Spanish colony, known as the viceregal period. Back then, some bakeries in Mexico were even called 'panbasserias' (pambacerías), just for making this type of bread.
Historians note that pan basso was made using lower quality flour or flour from wheat that wasn't perfect. Bakeries in Mexico City during the 17th century only made a small amount of this bread, usually less than 4% of all the flour they used.
Different Kinds of Pambazos
Pambazos in the State of Mexico
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In some villages in the State of Mexico, pambazos show influences from Mediterranean cooking. They use acemite, which is bran, in the bread. This bread is made in traditional bakeries, like those from the Spanish colonial times. You can find these in places like Malinalco, Tequixquiac, and Amecameca.
In Malinalco, the pambazos are smaller than those in Mexico City. They are filled with sausage and potatoes, or chicken meat with a herb called epazote. They also have shredded lettuce, white cheese, cream, and spicy salsa.
In Tequixquiac, the pambazos are quite different from Mexico City's. They are made with flour that includes dark wheat rind or bran, called acemite. These are filled with sausage and potatoes, or even turkey or lamb meat (like barbacoa). They come with shredded lettuce, white cheese, cream, and spicy chipotle sauce. They are often fried with butter. The name "pan bazo" is still used here, which is an older Spanish word.
Pambazos in the State of Puebla
In Puebla City, pambazos use a type of bread called cemita or acemite. They are filled with sausage and potatoes, avocado, a herb called papalo, white cheese, and cream. A red spicy salsa is often added on top of the pambazo.
Pambazos in the State of Veracruz
In Orizaba, Veracruz, a place with historical Jewish roots, you can find a pambazo with "Polish meat" (Carne Polaca). This version mixes the traditional pambazo or acemite bread with meat and lettuce, served with a spicy sauce.
See also
In Spanish: Pambazo para niños
