Rosca de Reyes (Epiphany — Mexico and Spain)
Rosca de reyes — 'ring of kings' — is the oval, ring-shaped sweet bread eaten on January 6 (Día de Reyes, Three Kings Day/Epiphany) across Mexico, Spain, and other Spanish-speaking countries. It is decorated with dried and candied fruit to represent the jewels of the kings' crowns, and like the French galette des rois and the New Orleans king cake, it contains a small plastic baby figure (representing the Christ child). The person who finds the baby in their slice is responsible for hosting a Candelaria party on February 2. The dough is an enriched yeast bread similar to brioche, flavoured with orange and lemon zest, rum, and vanilla, shaped into an oval ring and decorated lavishly before baking with candied fruit, sugar, and sometimes crème pâtissière if it is served as a dessert. In Mexico City, bakeries produce millions of roscas in the days before January 6.
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Origin & Lineage
Spain (Galicia and Castille); documented from the 16th century; the tradition traces to Roman Saturnalia celebrations with a coin hidden in a bean cake; the Christian adaptation placed a Christ-child figure inside; adopted in Mexico and Latin America with Spanish colonialism.