Pasteleria Lorena, a popular chain of bakeries in certain areas of El Salvador, just opened its very first location in the DMV.
Lorena’s Bakery opened its doors on Saturday in Manassas, Virginia, where people can find pastries, different types of breads and beverages that transport customers to El Salvador.
“It’s like a piece of their homeland. You know what I mean?” said Lorena’s Bakery owner Miriam Lorena Rodriguez. “Because there isn’t a wide variety of traditional bakeries that are based on Salvadorian — there are a variety of Salvadoran bakeries, but we focus more on tradition, so what we want from there is a piece of, how can I say, nostalgia.”
The bakery is very popular among Salvadorans in their country and in the U.S., especially those who live in San Miguel.
And opening in this area made sense taking into account the DMV has one of the highest populations of Salvadorans in the U.S., with more than 200,000 of them, according to Migration Policy Institute data.
“It’s nice to see our Hispanic Heritage coming to America and especially the DMV,” one customer at the opening told News4.
“It’s like a Spanish bakery, and it’s good to support our community,” another said. “Our people try something new because we love our bread, you know, our pumpkin cafe in the morning. So I thought we’d just come and try it out and see how good it is.”
For many Latino families, at the end of the day, it’s not only about sharing recipes and food that remind them of home, but it’s about preserving their family legacy.
“You know, as little [kids] you don’t understand the situation at that moment, it’s like, ‘Oh my God, I’m gonna make bread and I’m grounded instead of being on vacation.’ It became something that now in my adulthood, I feel really appreciative with that from my dad,” Rodriguez said. “And it turns something into a passion — into a dream that it finally comes true.”
from Local – NBC4 Washington https://ift.tt/u12bCN4
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