Rosca de Reyes in Mexico City: Where to Buy It and What It Costs

Rosca de Reyes is the ring-shaped sweet bread that families and offices in Mexico City cut on January 6, Día de Reyes. Small figures of the baby Jesus are baked inside, and whoever finds one is expected to host tamales on February 2, Día de la Candelaria. In January 2026 a 1 kg supermarket rosca cost about MXN 330–350.

How does the rosca tradition work?

The rosca is eaten on the afternoon or evening of January 6, the feast of the Three Kings. Mexico’s Ministry of Culture describes it as the center of the family snack (merienda) at dusk that day, served with hot chocolate. The custom arrived from Spain, where a similar ring cake, the roscón de reyes, is eaten on the same date.

The bread is a soft, lightly sweet dough shaped into an oval ring and topped with strips of sugar paste, candied fruit, quince or guava paste (ate) and sometimes figs. The usual explanation of the symbols goes like this:

• The ring stands for a crown, or for God’s love without beginning or end.
• The candied fruit stands for the jewels on the Kings’ crowns.
• The hidden figure stands for the infant Jesus, hidden from King Herod.

Each person cuts their own slice, so finding a figure is down to luck, or to careful knife work. The rosca closes the long holiday season described in our guide to Christmas in Mexico City, which also covers the shoes children leave out on the night of January 5.

What happens if you find the figure?

Whoever finds a figure is expected to provide tamales, usually with atole, on February 2, Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas). The Ministry of Culture puts it plainly: the finder pays for a tamalada. In 2027, January 6 is a Wednesday and February 2 is a Tuesday, so both an office rosca and an office tamalada fall on working days.

Large roscas hide several figures, which spreads the cost. In January 2026, for example, Sanborns sold its 1 kg rosca with four figures and its 2 kg rosca with six. The obligation is social, not legal, and finders can split the bill. Many families also dress a figure of the infant Jesus and take it to church to be blessed on Candelaria.

The figures are small and hard, usually plastic. Tell children to check each bite.

Where do people buy roscas in Mexico City?

Bakeries, supermarkets and café chains across the city sell roscas in early January. A few names draw the longest lines:

• Pastelería Ideal: the flagship on Avenida 16 de Septiembre in the Centro Histórico sells roscas in colored boxes sized by servings, from a small unboxed rosca for two people to a board-sized one (de tabla) for about 50. Lines form outside around January 6.
• El Globo: a bakery chain dating to 1884 with branches across the city, selling traditional roscas and filled versions with cream (nata), chocolate or cheese and blackberry.
• La Esperanza: a citywide bakery chain with butter, nut, cream and cheesecake versions in small and medium sizes.
• Sanborns: the department store and restaurant chain sells individual roscas and sizes from 500 g to 2 kg.
• Supermarkets and warehouse clubs: Walmart, Chedraui, Sam’s Club and Costco sell their own roscas, including large party sizes. Our comparison of supermarkets in Mexico City explains the chains and clubs.
• Neighborhood bakeries (panaderías): often the cheapest option, and some take orders a few days ahead.

Specialty and independent bakeries sell filled, vegan and themed roscas at higher prices. For any popular bakery, buy on January 5 or early on January 6, or order ahead where the bakery allows it.

How much does a rosca de reyes cost?

Prices depend on size and bakery more than anything else. The ranges below come from bakery and store price lists published in early January 2026; prices for 2027 will be set by each bakery in late December.

Filled and themed roscas from specialty bakeries ran up to about MXN 700 in January 2026. The consumer agency Profeco has compared rosca prices in past seasons, so watch its announcements in early January if you want a benchmark.

Will the city hold a mega rosca in January 2027?

As of November 11, 2026, the Mexico City government had not announced a public rosca event for January 2027. In the previous season, Head of Government Clara Brugada led the sharing of a 400-meter rosca on Paseo de la Reforma at the Ángel de la Independencia on January 5, 2026, with free toys for children, and roscas were handed out in the other boroughs the same day. In January 2025 the city held its rosca event in the Zócalo. Check the city government’s channels in the first days of January for dates, location and road closures.

Bottom line

Order your rosca a few days before January 6, or buy it early in the morning on the day. Count the figures before you cut, and if you host a work rosca, agree in advance how the Candelaria tamales will be shared.

FAQ

When do you eat rosca de reyes?

On January 6, usually in the afternoon or evening with hot chocolate or atole. Bakeries sell it before and after the date, so you can find it through the first weeks of January.

Is January 6 a public holiday in Mexico?

No. Día de Reyes is not one of the legal rest days listed on our page about Mexico’s public holidays, so offices and schools follow their own schedules.

What do you serve at the Candelaria tamalada?

Tamales and atole are the standard, sometimes with hot chocolate. Our guide to the Mexican Christmas dinner covers the other holiday dishes, from bacalao to ponche.

Do I have to host if I find the figure?

Nobody can make you, but it is the expected thing to do. If several people find figures, they usually share the tamales.