Etc.

And whipped cream on mine

Food police may be able to impose their will on some areas of the US and Canada. Witness the trans fat bans that have been enacted into law in California; in Montgomery County, Md.; in New York; in Boston; and elsewhere. Then there was the foie gras ban in Chicago. But if they even try such tactics in Mexico City, they – ahem – may be biting off more than they can chew.

Twice this month, bakers there have made headlines with calorie-bomb concoctions of world-class proportions. Appreciative eaters by the hundreds of thousands have lined up for a slice (or two), with little regard for the effect on their waistlines.

First came the traditional rosca de reyes bread for the Jan. 6 celebration of the Epiphany. The finished product was a mile long, weighed 11 tons, and contained 3-1/3 tons of butter and 396 gallons of milk. Hardly had that been digested, however, than 55 bakers and five trainees began work on the second: a cheesecake.

But not just any cheesecake. This one stood just under two feet high and weighed two tons. The ingredients: 772 pounds of pastry for the crust, a ton of cream cheese, a ton of yogurt, 551 pounds of sugar, 331 pounds of butter, and assorted other goodies, among them a thick topping of strawberries.

Last Sunday, the Guinness Book of World Records officially certified it as the largest in history. But then, it had no competition since it also appears to be the first in its category. And you thought Mexican food pretty much started and stopped with tacos, tortillas, and refried beans.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
QR Code to Etc.
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/World/2009/0128/p03s01-nbgn.html
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe