La Chata ★ 4.5
La Chata in Guadalajara is the Centro Historico fonda on Avenida Corona since 1942, Jalisco home cooking from pozole to mole on a daily-changing menu.
Signature: Pollo en mole, Carne en su jugo, Pozole rojo
History
Capirotada has Spanish roots in a medieval dish called capirotada de capirote (the layered Lenten pudding from Castile), brought to Mexico in the 16th century by Spanish nuns. The Tapatio version uses stale birote bread, piloncillo syrup with cinnamon and cloves, raisins, peanuts and queso fresco, with multicoloured sugar sprinkles (grageas) on top. The dish is symbolic of the Passion of Christ in Catholic Mexico; each ingredient represents an element of the crucifixion. It appears across Guadalajara fondas through March and April.
Common allergens: Wheat, Dairy, Peanuts
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 500 g stale birote or French bread, sliced
- Butter for toasting
- 1 L water
- 300 g piloncillo (or dark brown sugar)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cloves
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup roasted peanuts
- 200 g queso fresco, crumbled
- Multicoloured sugar sprinkles (grageas) for topping
Method
- Toast the bread slices with butter on a hot pan until golden.
- Simmer the water with piloncillo, cinnamon and cloves until the piloncillo dissolves and the syrup is fragrant, about 15 minutes. Strain.
- In a baking dish, layer the toasted bread, raisins, peanuts and queso fresco.
- Pour the warm syrup over the layers, letting the bread soak it up.
- Repeat the layers, finishing with queso fresco and sprinkles on top.
- Bake at 180 C (350 F) for 30 minutes until the top is golden and the syrup has set.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tip from the editors. Use stale bread (a day or two old); fresh bread turns to mush. The sprinkles are non-negotiable for the canonical Tapatio version.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Where to eat capirotada
Capirotada in Guadalajara
Fonda del Recuerdo ★ 4.0
Fonda del Recuerdo in Guadalajara is the Lopez Cotilla home-style brunch room, a Colonia Americana weekend favourite for huevos en mole and pozole brunch.
Order: Huevos en mole verde
Fonda Dona Gabina Escolastica ★ 4.2
Fonda Dona Gabina Escolastica in Guadalajara is the Francisco I. Madero technicolour Mexicaltzingo fonda, a Tapatio family favourite for pozole and Sunday.
Why locals love it: The Mexicaltzingo technicolour fonda Tapatio families book for Sunday lunch, with traditional Jalisco plates and a colorful courtyard.
Tip: Sunday lunch books out two weeks ahead; weekday lunch is walk-in only.
More cities are in research. Want capirotada covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.