Covered in dried fruits, candy stripes and sugared crust, the aromatic taste of rosca de reyes comes around only once a year.
In celebration of the Día de los Reyes, or the Epiphany, many Latino households carry on the tradition of sharing the festive pan dulce. Marking the Three Kings’ visit to baby Jesus in Bethlehem, the rosca de reyes symbolizes the gifts they brought to the newborn infant.
Rosca de reyes is typically eaten 12 days after Christmas on Jan. 6, at family gatherings to break and share the bread. Inside the baked good is a small plastic baby, representing Jesus — whoever receives the slice with the baby inside is meant to make everyone tamales for Día de la Candelaria, which falls on Feb. 2.
As panaderias around the city receive dozens of preorders and begin baking, De Los has compiled a list of L.A.’s best rosca de reyes.
