Tantawawa: Tradition of All Saints

Peruvians, especially among the Andean towns, receive November with the celebrations of 

"All Saints" (November 1th) and "Day of the Dead" ( November 2nd). 

In those days one of the most traditional breads consumed is the “Tantawawa”,

TANTA = bread

WAWA= baby

which in the Andean tradition has a very important meaning at the moment of do offerings to dead people. According to historian Martin Romero, the offerings made to dead people with breads have its beginning in Egyptian culture, Mesopotamia and Spain. Later, it arrived to Peru between 1570 and 1650, period in which the Catholic religion enforces its religious doctrine on Andean and Inca culture.

Tantawawa is a type of sweet bread shaped and decorated in the form of a small child or infant.

The Tantawawa represents the origin; the being who is born and the tasting, symbolise the decline because for the Andean culture the death is the continuation of life, and a way to be related with dead people is through offerings.

Hundreds of people go to the markets to buy varieties of sweet breads to give as an offering to the deceased in the cemeteries.

These pieces of art are the reason for social celebration and festivities. As an example of that, this year in the region of Junin staff from the provincial municipality, prepared the largest TantaWawa in Peru, traditional Andean bread in the shape of a doll, prepared with wheat flour, maca and other ingredients native to the area, which was baptized with the name of "Shimona".

The huge bread, which measures 10 meters long by 2.50 wide was presented by Mayor Percy Chagua Huaranga in the main square of the city of Junín, department of the same name, gathering more than thousand of people in the event. 

After the presentation, the mayor of the province personally took charge of distributing the Tantawawa to the entire population and visitors who gathered at the Plaza de Armas in the city of Junín.

The organizers expressed that this custom is made in homage to the deceased who fought in the battle of Junín and also by the citizens who exercised different positions for the progress of the province of Junín.

Its cost varies between S/1.00 and S/4.00  depending on the size and the inputs of the loaves. You can also find this delicacies at Mistura this week  and in the principal streets around Lima, don't be afraid and give it a try!

By: GringoPeru