Discover the Top 5 Vegan ‘Pan de Muerto’ Spots Around Los Angeles
To celebrate the Day of the Dead, how about some delicious vegan bread? We identified the top five vegan pan de muerto locations in or near Los Angeles, and we’d like to invite you to discover them with us!
But first, here’s a bit of baking background: In Mexico, Día de los Muertos traditionally includes an array of rituals, a particularly notable one of which is the design and placement of an ofrenda or “altar of the dead.” On November 1 and 2, this sacred practice pays tribute to those who have passed and welcomes them into the afterlife. A variety of distinctive offerings are placed on the altar, such as sugar skulls, marigold flowers, seasonal fruits, tablecloths made with papel picado, photographs of the deceased, dishes and drinks that used to be their favorites, and pan de muerto or “bread of the dead.”
Celebrate alongside us by seeking out these five favorite spots:
Delicias Bakery & Some
5567 N. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90042
Toluca Bakery
11365 Riverside Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 91602
Panaderia La Mexicana
818 N. Ventura Rd.
Oxnard, CA 93030
Soy Concha Bakery
709 N. Bristol St., Ste. J
Santa Ana, CA 92703
Panaderia Cuscatleca
1566 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(Pico-Union)
If you’re not in or near Los Angeles, Soy Concha Bakery offers nationwide shipping.
As we send you off to these doughy destinations, take a moment to pause and ponder Paz with your pan. In his book The Labyrinth of Solitude, the brilliant Mexican poet Octavio Paz wrote a section on Día de los Muertos with two striking yet simple lines (translated here by Lysander Kemp):
Death is a mirror which reflects the vain gesticulations of the living.
Our deaths illuminate our lives.
Reflecting on our own lives while celebrating a deceased loved one provides an excellent opportunity for resolving to make more compassionate decisions. When it comes to bread or any other food, choosing vegan will always illuminate our lives, as well as saving those of animals. Some bread contains animal-derived ingredients like eggs, butter, or honey, stolen from exploited chickens, cows, and bees, respectively. Our eventual deaths will be more joyously celebrated if we gain greater awareness of other lives around us and break vegan bread.
Enjoy your vegan pan de muerto journey!
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