Bolillo

A bolillo is a type of salty bread traditionally made in Mexico, El Salvador, Portugal, and Brazil. In Brazil it is known as "pão francês" (French bread) or "pão de sal" (salt bread). It is considered a variation of the baguette. In some places of Mexico, it is also known as "pan de agua" (water bread).

It is about 15 cm (six inches) long, in the shape of an oval, with a crunchy crust and a soft inside, known as migajón. It is the main ingredient for tortas and molletes. A variation of the bolillo is the "telera", which is very similar, though it has a rounder shape, is divided in three sections, and is usually a bit softer.

Method of preparation

In some parts of Mexico, bolillos are cooked in "hornos de piedra" (literally "rock ovens"). Mexicans say that when baked in "hornos de piedra", the bread tastes better than in gas or electric ovens.fact|date=March 2008 The bolillo is the main ingredient for all different kinds of tortas and is also eaten with eggs, beans, as well as milk and chocolate milk.

A typical Mexican torta contains slices of avocado, a spread made of black beans or refried beans, pickled jalapeños, lettuce, tomatoes and, most of the time, pieces of sliced ham.

The bolillo is also used in molletes. For a mollete, the bolillo is cut in half horizontally and it is covered with refried beans, cheese and salsa.

A variation of the bolillo is the telera, which is very similar though it has a rounder shape and it is a little bit bigger. The telera is divided in three sections and it is often a bit softer than a bolillo. In 2007, bolillos cost $2 pesos each ($0.19 USD), so they are inexpensive.

Names

The bolillo is considered a variation of the baguette and in Mexico the "bolillo" is known by different names. In Yucatán they are known as "barras"; in Guadalajara and Sonora they are called "virotes"; in the north of Mexico they're known as "bolillos", and in Sinaloa as "pan blanco" (white bread). In Brazil, they are known as pão francês (French bread) or pão de sal (salty bread).

lang

Bolillo is a slang term used in some parts of Latin America to refer to some people from the United States, members of the Caucasian race. [cite web|title=The Racial Slur Database|url=http://www.rsdb.org/search?q=bolillo|accessdate=2008-04-22] The usage is similar to the word Gringo. [cite web|title=Bolillo on UrbanDictionary.com|url=http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bolillo|accessdate=2008-04-22]

References

*Recipetips. [http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--38434/bolillo-bread.asp "Bolillo"] , Bolillo Bread",. Accessed October 25 2007.
*informativotx.com Blog. [http://informativotx.com/blog/2006/11/03/panmuerto/ "Bolillo"] , El don de Don Pedro en el día de Muertos,. Accessed October 23 2007.
*Bolillo [http://mx.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AqIcKd2ayRtD2LAj5hDhGnLB8gt.;_ylv=3?qid=20070111210755AAEmBg9 "Bolillo"] , como le llaman al bolillo "January 2007. . Accessed October 25 2007.