Where to find Rosca de Los Reyes around Brooklyn
Rosca de Los Reyes is a sweet bread which is a special food for Three Kings Day, known as “Día de los Reyes” in Spanish, and celebrated on January 6. The holiday is sometimes referred to as the Twelfth Night because it falls twelve days after Christmas, but is also known as Epiphany, and marks the day the Wise Men are believed to have visited the Christ Child. “Rosca” means wreath and “Reyes” means kings, so a direct translation would be King’s Wreath.
The bread is shaped in the form of a wreath and usually has candied fruit on top, and a figurine of a baby baked inside. It’s often simply called “Rosca.” This sweet bread is similar to King’s Cake which is eaten in New Orleans during Carnival season.
In Mexico, it is customary for friends and family to get together on January 6 to eat Rosca. Usually, each person cuts their own slice and the one who gets a piece of Rosca with the baby figurine is expected to host a party on Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas), which is celebrated on February 2nd. On that day, the traditional food is tamales. Nowadays bakers tend to put several baby figurines in the Rosca, so the responsibility for making (or buying) the tamales can be shared among several people.
Symbolism of the Rosca de Reyes
The symbolism of the Rosca de los Reyes speaks of the Biblical story of Mary and Joseph’s flight to Egypt to protect the infant Jesus from the slaughter of the innocents.
The shape of the Rosca symbolizes a crown, in this case, the crown of King Herod from whom they were trying to hide the infant Jesus. The dried fruit on top are jewels on the crown. The figurine in the Rosca represents Jesus in hiding. The person who finds the baby Jesus is symbolically his godparent and must sponsor the party when he is taken to the temple to be blessed, celebrated as Día de la Candelaria, or Candlemas, on February 2nd.
Here is a list of Brooklyn bakeries where you can get your Rosca de Los Reyes today and tomorrow:
El Charro Bakery
1427 Myrtle Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11237
Bushwick
(718) 452-1401
La Nueva Union Bakery
1114 Cortelyou Rd
Brooklyn, NY 11218
b/t Westminster Rd & Stratford Rd
Flatbush
(718) 284-7218
La Flor De Santa Ines
731 Church Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11218
(718) 854-4854
La Gran Via Bakery
4516 5th Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11220
Open 24 hours
(718) 853-8021
Mis Angelitos Bakery
4003 5th Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11232
Sunset Park
(718) 431-0001
Las Conchitas Bakery
4811 5th Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11220
Sunset Park
(718) 437-5513
Panaderia Mexico
238 Knickerbocker Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11237
Bushwick
(718) 418-8821
Guadalupana Bakery
308 Ellery St
Brooklyn, NY 11206
(718) 384-2011
Bedford Stuyvesant, Bushwick
Hours 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM daily
Generosa Bakery
5812 5th Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11220
b/t 59th St & 58th St
Sunset Park
(718) 492-0895
Open daily: 7:00 am – 8:00 pm
Did we miss any? Let us know where you got your Rosca.
