The municipality of Saltillo and Vizcaya University worked together Monday to make rosca de reyes, but they kept it small this year — to just a kilometer in length.

Last year’s rosca was 2.65 kilometers long, making it into the Guinness World Records for the largest in the world. It was more than twice the size of the previous record holder which came in at just under a kilometer and was made in Switzerland. The record was taken this year by a rosca made in Tizimín, Yucatán, which measured three kilometers.

The tradition of eating a circular sweet bread on Three Kings Day, or Epiphany as it is also known, has its origins in Europe and was brought to Mexico by the Spanish. It has since become firmly rooted here.

Epiphany has more cultural importance in Catholic countries such as Mexico. Not only is the recognition of the Three Kings (or Three Wise Men) celebrated religiously, it is also the traditional day when children receive gifts, much the way Jesus received gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh.

The rosca was made by 180 culinary students at the university. The mega-bread used 730 kilograms of flour, 14 kilograms of yeast, eight liters of orange blossom extract, eight liters of vanilla extract, 165 liters of milk, 60 kilograms of sweetened fruit paste, 165 kilograms of sugar, 132 of margarine, 4,620 eggs, 33 kilos of lard and 105 kilos of powdered sugar. As the ring was prepared, 1,600 miniature figures of the baby Jesus were hidden in the dough.

Traditionally, the sweet bread is cut and shared among family and friends, and those who find the figurines are responsible for providing tamales for Candlemas, the very last event of the Christmas season on February 2.

Source: Milenio (sp)