Face-shaped conchas in Mexico City feed another wave of Harfuch-mania

In the latest example of the “Harfuch-mania” chronicled last week by Mexico News Daily, the image of the nation’s security minister, Omar García Harfuch, is now being rendered on a concha.

Jonathan Barrera, who runs Bestcake CDMX in Mexico City, has turned García Harfuch’s face into a made-to-order concha, the iconic, dome-shaped Mexican sweet bread.

A concha is a traditional Mexican sweet bread, named for its seashell-like appearance. (Unsplash)

Nicknamed “Harfuchas,” the conchas keep their traditional buttery flavor, but their shape is slightly altered and the sugary crust on top is fashioned into the likeness of Mexico’s top. 

Boxes of six reportedly sell for 350 pesos (US $19.64) while a more elaborate four-piece set has been going for 370 pesos (US $20.76).

However, the conchas are not being sold individually and are available only by advance order. And since Barrera handles pretty much everything at the shop, wait times have been long.

Barrera opened his small, independent bakery during the COVID pandemic. As its calling card, the shop in the capital’s Iztapalapa borough fuses conchas with meme-y and pop culture designs, such as Dr. Simi, the rain god Tlaloc (as in the short video above) and “Conchanguito.”

The latter — inspired by Punch, the Japanese baby monkey who went viral for clinging to a stuffed animal — is a portmanteau of “concha” and “changuito,” which literally means “little monkey.”

Barrera’s “Harfucha” is the latest twist in a fast-expanding ecosystem of García Harfuch merchandise that took off after the Feb. 22 raid that killed Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera.

Earlier this month, this media outlet and others documented the boom in blankets, dolls and other items featuring the 44-year-old security chief, noting that some operators were turning out up to 150 blankets a day, with orders even flowing to the United States.

On TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, users have posted photos of the “Harfucha” conchas, sometimes alongside existing “Harfuchito” dolls and blankets (some featuring an image of a shirtless García Harfuch).

Some of García Harfuch’s celebrity was formed in 2022, when Green Party lawmaker Jesús Sesma referred to Mexico City’s then–citizen security chief as a “superhero” and crafted a Batman-modified action figure that went viral and sparked memes.

García Harfuch’s enduring image as a vigilante-style protector is part of what the current trend is seizing upon.

It also comes after a December 2025 poll cited him as the leading Morena contender for president in 2030, when President Claudia Sheinbaum’s term will end.

With reports from Gastrolab, Eje Central and W Radio

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