Herreras Bakery

Want to add adventure to your next trip down 1-5?  Stop in Maxwell, California, and visit Herreras Bakery and Mexican grocery store.  Although it's just off I-5, Maxwell didn't transform into a fuel and fast food freeway town. These days, Herreras Bakery is about the only business that is operating. Apparently, I am not the only one who loves Mexican pastries. 

Herreras Bakery at Sunset

Mexican pastries taste like a cross between bread and a doughnut. Like bread, they are soft and chewy. Unlike a doughnut, they are just slightly sweet. As I was there at the end of the day, some of the shelves were empty in the self-serve bakery case. However, that did not stop me from loading up my tray. There were also bakery made tortillas.

Pastry Selection

Tortillas made at the Bakery

The bakery facility is in the back half of the building, with the store in the front. Along with pastries, the store sells packaged groceries, produce, and has a meat counter. The Pasta Para Duroz intrigued me. Although called pasta, it looked different from the boil-in-a-pot variety. My nonexistent Spanish skills prevented me from asking about it, so I bought a package.

Pasta Para Duroz

A little Google investigation revealed that pasta Para Duroz is a snack food. It was traditionally fried, but now microwaved. When it gets hot, it morphs into a thick, bulbous wafer. Its texture is close to an ice cream cone.  The taste is bland, yet has a certain depth. I put lime juice and salt on mine. I was crunchy, tasty, and filling.

Cooked Para Duroz

Next time I stop, I want to buy the Pasta Para Duroz that comes in a wagon wheel shape. I think frying and sprinkling them with sugar would create that irresistibly delicious sugar-fat-salt combination.