Austin Latino bakery strains to meet Three Kings Day bread demand
The owner of Mi Tradición bakery in north Austin says the ongoing pandemic has brought along a rise in cost of goods and staffing challenges.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — As many in the Latino community celebrate Three Kings Day on Thursday, one local bakery had a difficult time has struggled to meet demand for the holiday's signature treat: La Rosca de Reyes.
The owner of Mi Tradición bakery in north Austin says the ongoing pandemic has brought along a rise in cost of goods and staffing challenges.
Mi Tradición, which specializes in the bread, didn't take pre-orders for Rosca this year. Pan dulce baking was also paused until after Three Kings Day in hopes to meet Rosca demand.
"We just don't have the manpower to take any orders online," said owner Jesus Guevara. "We're just making a lot of Roscas and hoping for the best. Hopefully our customers can understand our struggle, though a lot of businesses are facing the same problem."
Mi Tradición, located at 8716 Research Boulevard, made 3,500 cakes last year and Guevara says he hopes to make more in 2022.
Día de Reyes
Three Kings Day — or "Día de Reyes" in Spanish — commemorates the visitation of the Baby Jesus by the Three Wise Men.
La Rosca de Reyes is a sweet yeast bread shaped in a ring, writes Claudia Alcarón in Forbes. Candied fruits adorn the bread to represent the Wise Men's crowns. It's usually eaten Jan. 5 through Jan. 6.
Some bakers even hide plastic Baby Jesuses inside the bread. Whoever finds the surprise is then tasked with throwing a party on Feb. 2. Another sneaky surprise hidden inside the bread: a baked bean. The "unlucky" person who finds it must bring the bread next year.