A recent Concha story made headlines in the San Francisco Bay Area and we love it because it’s a story of the Latinx community coming together to support a Latina and her business.
La Concha in California
The Nieta of a former Méxican bakery owner, Ulloa was linked for life to Mexican pan dulce. She quickly realized that she could turn her love of the Concha-making process into a Business.
At the beginning, Ulloa only baked for friends and family but during the pandemic, she saw demand come from outside her family so she established Cafe de la Olla.
A latina Empresaria:
Ulloa was working at Krispy Kreme, where during the week she made donuts and went to college, while on the weekend she made Conchas at home using her grandmother’s recipes.
She recently quit her job at Krispy Kreme to focus on her small business full-time. At her pop-up shop, customers can place their orders online or pick them up at a pop-up location.
In talking about her “concha” origins, Ulloa mentions, “it runs in my blood”.
La Concha de Viaje
The Concha is not only dropping the mic in the Bay Area, but you also heard rumblings of the Concha in Texas and it’s even made its way to the happiest place on earth, Disneyland. Virtually, the Concha has found itself on Youtube, where people can find a tutorial video on how to make a Concha.
La Concha – The Origin:
Conchas, to us, don’t need to be explained but it’s important to point out that it speaks to generational strings that drive our community. It’s a tradition that is taught and passed down with each generation and a staple of our Pan Dulce.
The Spanish Conquistadors brought wheat, among other things with them. Wheat bread was a major staple of the European diet at that time. This is pretty interesting when you think of “Misa” – a practice the Conquistadors brought with them, where the most common ritual is the eating of the wafer…..a wafer that is made from wheat.
Shortly after the Conquistadors, there came the Panaderos Franceses, who took it up a notch in the 17th century when they brought their baguettes and brioche bread. This rapidly gave birth to the “New World” diet of Pan Dulce.
Some Interesting Facts: 1) The first official French military intervention in Mexico was called “Guerra de los Pasteles” and 2) There’s a Japanese bread Concha called Melopan, that looks and tastes just like the Mexican Concha!
The Concha has hit the American commercial market where Concha-themed items have become easy to buy. One can buy a Concha Shirt, Concha Cookie Cutter & Concha Pop Socket!
