|
South America and the Caribbean
Argentina
Tito's Bakery, 333 Broadway, Chelsea. 617-884-3313. Mon.-Sat. 5 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun., 5 a.m.-1 p.m.
Tito and Isobel Avellaneda started this South American bakery in Chelsea in 1976. They offer many pastries from their native Argentina, as well as other South American nations. Argentinean specialties include:
Coco mal cochado: A dark gold coconut macaroon with a molasses flavor.
Pionono: Similar to a jelly roll, it's rolled with dulce de leche (a thickened, caramelized milk the consistency of hot fudge).
Peras de guajava: Guava jam sandwiched between two cake-like cookies and coated with coconut.
Columbia
El Dorado Bakery, 18 Congress Ave., Chelsea. 617-884-9039. Mon.-Sat. 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
This is a small bakery, which also sells prepared food, makes individual-sized cheese breads with a variety of flours, including yucca, tapioca, and corn starch. Specialities include:
Pan de yucca: A crescent-shaped bread with an airy yet chewy texture, made with a mild Colombian cheese; slightly sweet, slightly salty.
Churro: Doughnut-shaped and deep fried, filled with a swirl of tangy guava jam.
Montecala: A moist pound cake flecked with walnuts; subtle cinnamon seasoning.
Dominican Republic
Nuris's Bakery, 118 Central Ave., Lynn. 781-598-5662. Mon.-Sat. 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Nuris Severino worked as a hairdresser for several years and made cakes on the side before she opened her bakery in 1993. Specialties include:
Bizcocho de pina (pineapple cake): A rich, moist yellow layered cake with homemade pineapple jam and covered by a thick, soft meringue frosting.
Bizcocho tres leches: (three-milk cake): A yellow cake with custard filling that sits in a pool of thin cream sauce.
Dulce de leche (milk-sweet): A popular item in many South American countries made from canned sweetened condensed milk or, as Nuris does it, from regular milk. It's cooked over low heat with sugar for several hours until it caramelizes and thickens to the consistency of grainy fudge.
Guatemala
Pan Delis, 228 Market St., Allston. 617-787-5747. Mon.- Fri. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 5 p.m.-9 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; closed Sun.
Owned by Francisco Baz, this small storefront offers only a handful of items; it's also a wholesale supplier to Hispanic markets. The bakery primarily uses two doughs, formed into various shapes. One is a butter-based sugar cookie, the other a quick bread with a texture similar to that of scones. Specialties include:
Champurda: A large square cookie that's delicate and crisp.
Roskita: A quarter-inch thick wheel-shaped cookie with a grooved edge. It's topped with sugar.
Conchita A sweet scone-like bread formed into a mound and topped with a little cookie dough.
Haiti
Le Foyer Bakery, 132 Babson St., Mattapan. 617-298-0535. Mon.-Thurs 6 a.m-6 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Edna Etienne started the bakery in 1976, and her daughter Sarnia, a former broadcast journalist, took over in '95. The house specialty is patés (pronounced patty), made with a flaky pastry and stuffed with savory fillings like chicken, beef, and salt cod. They also make a handful of pastries, including:
Amidon: A mound-shaped cookie made with cornstarch. It's pale yellow, crumbly, and slightly sweet.
Langue de boeuf: Literally meaning cow tongue, but actually similar to an elephant ear cookie. It's 4 inches by 10 inches and topped with cinnamon sugar.
Coconut tablet A chewy candy-cookie made from honey, corn syrup, and coconut.
Jamaica
Lenny's Tropical Bakery, 1195 Blue Hill Ave., Mattapan. 617-296-2587. Mon.-Sat. 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
Lenny's, which is also a takeout restaurant, specializes in Jamaican items. Several cakes (banana, rum, carrot) baked in loaf pans are sold whole or cut into thick slices. The best items here are those made with coconut. Specialties include:
Coconut drop: Patty-shaped candy made with brown sugar, chunks of fresh coconut, and fresh ginger. Sweet with a spicy kick, texture like New Orleans pralines.
Coconut gizzarda: A free-form individual-sized coconut tart. The shredded coconut filling is sweet, like pecan pie.
| 
