Passion for Capirotada

Popular Easter dessert holds spiritual significance

A serving of capirotada from a local eatery is shown along with other recipies. The longstanding tradition of the Mexican bread pudding has survived generations and is now available in restaurants. (Staff photos by Francisco E. Jimenez)

By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

There are few dishes in Hispanic culture that have religious symbolism; one such food is capirotada, the delicious dessert popular during Easter.

Capirotada is commonly eaten during Lent, an annual season of fasting which begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes on Easter.

The bread pudding is especially popular in the Rio Grande Valley, so much so that local businesses have been forced to add it to the menu in order to meet the demand.

“(We’ve been making capirotada) for the last four years that we’ve been in business,” said Adolfo Toriz, owner of SB Wings and the newly opened Chicken Shack. “The customers ask for it around Easter. We only make it during Lent, like how we make tamales during Christmas, we make capirotada during Lent.”

The dessert is said to be symbolic to the Passion of Christ. Some Mexican and Mexican-American families have long believed the bread symbolizes the Body of Christ, the syrup represents His blood, the raisins symbolize the nails used in His crucifixion, the whole cinnamon sticks represent the wood used for the cross, and the melted cheese signifies the Holy Shroud.