March 28, 2024

Sometimes I’m “enlisted” to buy the lunchtime bread at the local panadería and I do it more than willingly. There’s almost nothing better than walking into that bread bakery, waiting in line, and ordering a barra de bandeja and they give it to you with a smile, charge you 60 or 65 centimos, and it’s still hot from the oven. There’s something so basic about the whole process, the whole custom. It smells SO good in this moment that I can’t help but raise it to my nose while I transport it in its paper bread bag to the lunch table. I’m usually the one who’s “in charge” of cutting the bread but when I do so, since the bread is still hot and moist, it crushes under the weight of the cutting knife. What a wonderful smell it emits.

Here in my neighborhood, if I happen to awake at 4am for whatever reason, from a bad dream or a need to go to the bathroom, I often smell the baking bread at the bakery on my same block. No matter if it’s summer or winter I must open the window of the kitchen or balcony and take several deep breaths of that wonderful smell. It’s better than perfume, better than springtime flowers, and better than the smell of that special someone’s hair after a shower. Fresh baked bread is the best perfume there is.

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1 thought on “Spanish Bread

  1. Hey MM, long time, no? Was just reading your blog and I have to definitely agree with what you say about the pan del dia. MMMMMM We were fortunate enough to find a mexican panaderia that make this bread that is an exact replica of the bread I used to get in the Canary Islands. Of course it’s not the same unless you’re breathing Spanish air at the same time. But its close. My wife’s parents fly in at the endo of the month. Mmmmmm Spanish food will be in our kitchen every day until they leave. I did get my fix the other day at Cafe BaBaReeba here in Vegas. We went on Easter Sunday. Hope all is well. I’m glad you were finally able to make it out there permanently. I know you’ve been there a while now, but I just wanted to say that. Do you still have that special lady friend? Cheers!

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