Roscatitlán returns for Día de Reyes in Mexico City
The finish line of the “Guadalupe-Reyes marathon” – the popular way Mexicans refer to the holiday period from Dec. 12 (Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe) to Jan. 6 (Three Kings Day) – is almost here.
On this holiday, Mexican families and friends give gifts to children, hold gatherings and partake in the traditional sweet bread, Rosca de Reyes. The lucky ones who get the baby Jesus figurine hidden inside the bread (a Biblical reference to when Mary and Joseph had to hide baby Jesus from King Herod) must invite the guests to a meal of tamales on Día de la Calendaria, which is celebrated on Feb. 2.
But as much as the tradition is rooted in Mexican culture, it wasn’t born here – it originated in France in the 17th century. The tradition traveled to Spain and then Mexico after the Spanish conquest.
To celebrate the occasion, Mexico City’s “Roscatitlán” will come back after a two year hiatus, with over 100 food exhibitors and 20 master bakers creating Rosca de Reyes, from traditional to vegan and gluten free. The event will take place from Jan. 5-8 at Colegio México Roma. Besides tasting the king’s bread, you can also sample the traditional Mexican winter beverage atole and tamales.
Oaxaca cheese included on food tasting “bucket list”
On Monday, the TasteAtlas “Bucket List” came out with a ranking of the 40 things to taste in 2023 – and beloved Mexican Oaxaca cheese is on the list.
Owing to its “savory, creamy, mild and buttery flavor,” the cheese made it onto a list dominated by Italian cheeses. After the Parmigiano Reggiano, Gorgonzola picante, Burrata and Grana Padano, Queso Oaxaca is suggested as the fifth best cheese to try in 2023.
You need to save this. The real bucket list.https://t.co/qgEVTZZjFA pic.twitter.com/RDMtZuMxdo
— TasteAtlas (@TasteAtlas) January 2, 2023
The cheese, named after the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, is characterized by its stringy texture and its “great melting properties,” which make it perfect for quesadillas, empanadas and tlayudas, the ranking explains.
TasteAtlas, described as an “experiential travel guide for traditional food”, ranks everything from breads, salamis, snacks, wines, cakes and liquors, reminding readers that “life is too short not to try all the best the world has to offer.”
2 Mexicans make Rolling Stone’s list of 200 best singers of all time
Two late Mexican performers were recognized among Rolling Stone’s 200 best singers of all time.
Ranking in the 95th position is “Mexico’s idol”, Vicente Fernández, known for classic songs like “El Rey”, “Hermoso Cariño” and “Por tu Maldito Amor.” The magazine called him “the greatest ranchera singer of all time” while recognizing his “unmistakable tenor, intense vibrato and his hard to miss charro outfits.”
In position 172 is Juan Gabriel, whose “flamboyant persona, colorful capes, and pompadour immediately made a splash,” said the magazine. Mixing pop with banda and ranchera music, he created “emotionally wrenching ballads” like “Adiós Amor Te Vas” and “Querida.”
The magazine remembered Juan Gabriel’s response to questions about his sexuality, which inspired the LGBTQ community of the time: “You don’t need to ask about what you can already see.”
Intermoda fashion trade fair coming to Guadalajara
Intermoda, a fashion industry trade fair, is scheduled for its 78th edition from Jan. 17-20 at Expo Guadalajara. Sustainability and the promotion of new talent will be two of the focal points of this year’s fair, which seeks to attract more than 21,000 buyers and will showcase more than 1,000 exhibiting brands.
The fair is advertised as the first sustainable fashion fair in in Latin America. Among its sustainability goals, Intermoda aims to reduce the carbon footprint in the fashion industry, as well as to establish a textile collection center for recycling.
The participating countries include Brazil, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, the United States, France, Spain, Italy and Turkey.
Most Googled Mexican public figures
Xavier López “Chabelo,” widely known among Mexicans as the host of the morning kid’s TV show “En Familia con Chabelo” (Family time with Chabelo), was the most searched Mexican during 2022 in Mexico, according to “The Year in Search” by Google Trends.
The 87-year-old TV personality started trending on social media with the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September, as memes circulated about Chabelo’s longevity versus the monarch’s. His television career spanned 60 years.
Actor Tenoch Huerta, who starred in the Marvel film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, was also among the most searched public figures.
Twenty-three-year-old ice skater Donovan Carrillo was the fourth most googled Mexican after he made history by reaching the finals at the Winter Olympic Games.
Other names in the Top 10 ranking include the “princess of Mexican music”, Ángela Aguilar, former teachers union leader Elba Esther Gordillo, and Mexican leading man, Andrés García.
With reports from Rolling Stone, Players of Life Guadalajara, Cdmx Secreta, Reforma and Heraldo de México.
