PHOENIX — When driving down 7th Avenue near Fillmore, it’s hard not to notice the sign for Mexican bakery and restaurant Cocina Adamex.
The turn into the parking lot comes quickly and during the lunch rush, the parking lot gets so packed that cars have to park in the alley. One of the big draws besides the breakfast and lunch menu, is their extra-large take on the classic Mexican sweet bread called a Concha.
The name comes from the shell-like pattern on top of the bread. It’s the most well-known of the Mexican sweet breads or pan dulce.
Adriana Zapata and her husband, Alberto, are the new owners of the space. Adriana said her favorite bread was always the concha, since it’s the biggest.
But why not make it even bigger? That’s what Cocina Adamex was doing. But Adriana said it was mostly for special occasions.
So, she hired a social media content creator who shared a video of the extra-large conchas which started a ripple effect as more influencers started coming and posting about the jumbo pastry.
Adriana said, "The second video went viral, and it just blew up from there."
Butter, sugar, flour, and freshly ground cinnamon are some of the ingredients for the dough.
To decorate the top, the bakers must grease their hands and pat the coating on the dough before they then flour their hands to handle the paste that goes on top.
The sugary pastes can come in many different colors, but the most traditional are chocolate and vanilla. It’s spread on the dough as it’s flattened to help give it a more oval shape. Once that’s done the dough goes to proof for 25 minutes and then into the oven for another 25 to 30 minutes.
The origin of the concha is a story of Mexican history dating back hundreds of years, with wheat from the Spaniards, baking methods from the French, and the Indigenous Mexican flavor, it has survived and thrived.
Many families eat conchas with a side of coffee or Mexican hot chocolate, typically the Nestle Abuelita brand.
For Adriana and her husband, this is about continuing traditions from the previous owner. The restaurant and bakery used to be called Azteca for decades. It built a loyal customer base. So, when the previous owner was ready to sell, she asked the Zapata's to stay true to what she’d built. And they have.
Now, Adriana is enjoying seeing how the XL conchs are bringing families together. "An elderly parent is sitting there with this gigantic cup and their concha. And just the joy it brings to so many families, it's really heartwarming."
The XL conchas must be pre ordered. For more information visit https://cocinaadamex.com/.
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