This brother/sister duo are skilled artists and bakers from San Mateo Soltepec, Puebla. They are known across the South Philly community for their preparation of pan de muerto, which is a type of sweetened soft bread, decorated with imagery of human bones, and served on Day of the Dead. Unlike other bakers of pan de muerto, however, Ángeles and Silvestre use a unique family recipe, which includes special grains shipped in from Mexico. They ornately weave the dough, making elaborate shapes, such as a basket. Ángeles Rincón demonstrated the family’s talents at making pan de muerto at a Day of the Dead workshop hosted by the Philadelphia Folklore Project on October 19, 2019.
The Rincón family are also celebrated chefs in other forms of traditional and fusion Mexican dishes. They own the restaurant, El Rancho Viejo, in Queen Village, Philadelphia, where they specialize in making classic Mexican dishes, such as carnitas, tacos, and tortas, but also offer innovative cuisine, like deep-fried mahi mahi with red pickled cabbage, sliced avocado, and chipotle mayo.
