npr:
On Jan. 6 many Christians around the world will celebrate Epiphany, or Three Kings Day — the day the three kings came to visit baby Jesus.
In parts of Latin America, a big part of the holiday tradition is the rosca de reyes, or Three Kings cake.
It’s a crown-shaped cake made of yeast-based bread that is very fluffy and airy once baked. The rosca is typically topped with candied fruits and bands of colorful, sugary paste. Inside there’s a little figurine of a baby, meant to represent Jesus, and whoever is served the piece with it inside has to throw a party on Feb. 2, dia de la Candelaria. When the rosca is served, it’s often dunked in a warm drink like hot chocolate or atole.
“It’s a shared tradition,” says chef Pati Jinich, the host of PBS’s Pati’s Mexican Table. “All of the Latin American countries that were conquered by the Old World inherited this tradition.”
U.S. Bakeries Grab A Slice Of A Latin American Tradition: 3 Kings Cake
Photo: Jam Media/CON/LatinContent/Getty Images