Pambazos: the chilli-bathed sandwich of potato and chorizo from Mexico City

What is it?

Pambazos are one of the most representative street antojitos of Mexico City. They are made with a soft, round white bread — known precisely as 'pan pambazo' — similar to a bolillo but more spongy and without the hard crust, which is dipped in a red chile guajillo sauce and then griddled or fried on a flat top or pan with a little lard. The result is a reddish bread, slightly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, which is filled with cooked potato cubes stewed with Mexican chorizo, romaine lettuce or julienned cabbage, crumbled fresh cheese, cream and green salsa to taste. It is sold at street stalls in the Historic Centre, San Ángel, Coyoacán, Xochimilco and all of the capital's antojerías. El Universal and Guía de Tacos record it as an essential chilango antojito. Its name comes from 'pan basso' or low Italian bread, according to some etymologies, in reference to the denser, lower-baked dough.

Origin and history

The pambazo has colonial origins and was consolidated in the 19th century in Mexico City. The 'pan pambazo' as such appears documented in New Spanish bakery books as 'second-class' or economic bread made with flour of lesser quality than fine white bread. Because of its affordable price, it became the food of the popular classes of the capital. El Universal documents that the stuffed and chilli-bathed version became popular in the verbenas and national festivities of the late 19th century, when the antojito makers of the markets of La Merced and San Juan prepared them in large quantities for attendees. The classic filling of potato with chorizo, a mestizo legacy with Spanish chorizo sausage and American potato, was consolidated towards the early 20th century and is maintained as the canonical recipe. México en mi Cocina cites regional variants: pambazo de mole (Puebla), pambazo veracruzano (with string cheese and cream), pambazo lagunero (Comarca Lagunera, without dipping, only griddled with filling). Today pambazos are a fundamental part of the Mexican street diet: magazines such as Animal Gourmet and Chilango celebrate routes of historic pambacerías such as those of the Coyoacán market and López street in the Historic Centre.

Characteristic ingredients

The pan pambazo is the key to the dish: it is a round, oval or loaf-shaped bread of around 12-15 cm, made with wheat flour, water, salt, yeast and sometimes a little lard. The crust is thin and the crumb dense and spongy, which allows it to absorb the sauce without falling apart. The chilli sauce is prepared with hydrated chile guajillo blended with garlic, cumin and vinegar or water, forming a liquid red paste. The bread is briefly dipped, letting the sauce soak in without becoming too wet. Then it is griddled on a hot flat-top with a little oil or lard on both sides until lightly toasted. The traditional filling: white potato cooked in small cubes, mixed with Mexican chorizo fried and crumbled, sautéed in its own fat so that the potato absorbs colour and flavour. The pambazo is assembled with the filling, romaine lettuce or julienned cabbage, crumbled fresh cheese, drizzled Mexican cream and green tomatillo or red salsa to taste. Variants: pambazo de tinga (with chicken), Veracruz pambazo (with melted string cheese), pambazo de mole with chicken, pambazo of pressed chicharrón. All carry the chilli-bathed bread as the distinctive hallmark.

Cultural significance

Pambazos are one of the icons of chilango street cuisine, alongside tacos al pastor, tortas, tamales, quesadillas and elotes. They are sold by the thousands daily at the antojerías of the Historic Centre, Coyoacán, Xochimilco, San Ángel and squares such as Garibaldi. The organisation of traditional antojito makers — many with decades of presence at the same spot — forms part of Mexico City's intangible heritage. The 2010 UNESCO declaration of traditional Mexican cuisine implicitly includes the capital's street cuisine as a living expression of the national repertoire. In popular culture, the pambazo appears in literature such as books by Carmen Boullosa, Salvador Novo and in films such as Roma by Alfonso Cuarón. Economically, pambazo stalls sustain thousands of family micro-businesses in the capital. Some elegant restaurants such as Azul Histórico, Café Tacuba and Limosneros have elevated the pambazo to their menus as a vindication of popular cuisine. The Pambazo Fair in Tulancingo, Hidalgo, annually celebrates this antojito as part of regional identity. Chefs such as Eduardo García and Enrique Olvera have reinterpreted it on international menus.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between pambazo and torta?

The torta uses bolillo or telera bread, without dipping, and is assembled as a sandwich with stew, beans, avocado, lettuce and other toppings. The pambazo uses specific pan pambazo, is dipped in chile guajillo sauce and griddled, giving it a red colour and chilli-bathed flavour, and is classically filled with potato and chorizo. The bread, the sauce and the preparation method are the key differences.

What do pambazos taste like?

They taste of bread bathed in guajillo chilli — slightly spicy, sweet and spiced — with a creamy filling of potato and chorizo — fatty, spiced, substantial — freshness from the lettuce, saltiness from the fresh cheese and unctuousness from the cream. The green or spicy salsa to taste adds acidity and heat. It is a dish of potent and comforting flavours, perfect as a lunch or hearty supper. Potato with chorizo is absolutely defining.

How are pambazos served?

They are served hot, freshly griddled on the flat-top, wrapped in waxed paper to take away or on a flat plate. They are eaten by hand, taking care not to stain clothing with the red sauce from the bread. They are accompanied with green or red salsa to taste, a soft drink, agua fresca de jamaica or atole. Street stalls prepare them to order; restaurants serve them with sides such as refried beans or salad.

Where do pambazos originate from?

They originate from Mexico City, where they were consolidated in the 19th century as a street antojito of the verbenas and national festivities. The pan pambazo comes from the Italian 'pan basso', a colonial economic bread. There are regional variants: pambazo de mole in Puebla, Veracruz pambazo on the Gulf and pambazo lagunero in the Comarca Lagunera, but the Mexico City one — chilli-bathed and filled with potato and chorizo — is the national canonical version.