Ensenada.- In this port city, about an hour south of the border crossing, you can find the best desserts in the world. At least that's what the locals tell visitors, urging them to dive into the city's sweet offerings.

Here you can find from classic French pastries to cakes baked from recipes handed down by great-great grandmothers to artisan bread created by young graduates from pastry schools in the United States, Europe and Mexico.

Local bakers agree that this city has evolved into a center for fine desserts because original, classic recipes are respected and because fresh ingredients are used, particularly from the region.

And these desserts perfectly complement the delicious seafood dishes typical of a port.

Leonardo González, president of the Chefs Association of Baja California, credits one of the city's iconic restaurants, El Rey Sol, for spreading French-inspired goods.

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In the last ten years, bakers who worked for El Rey Sol later went into business for themselves, opening La Reina and El Rey del Ecler bakeries, in Ensenada's downtown.

And a new generation of chefs arrived who had studied in schools in San Diego, Los Ángeles, San Francisco, New York, México and Europe, González said

These individuals, using products from the region and from Southern California, developed pastries and breads with unparalleled taste.

Marisela Guerrero, the pastry chef at El Rey Sol, said that the restaurant still uses recipes from Virginia Geffroy Pozo, known as Doña Pepita, a Baja California native of French descent who opened the eatery in 1947.

The restaurant uses natural products, imported flour, puff pastries, butter and almond-based dough.

The eatery's stellar products are the pasteles Primavera, a bread made with only eggs, flour and sugar; the pastel Progre, made with almonds and egg whites; and the so-called Monja (Spanish for "nuns", a little cake made with French choux dough and filling.

María Teresa Santiago, the owner chef of Hogaza Hogaza bakery, wanted to give her bread its own identity. She only uses products from the region, including flour made of wheat grown in Mexicali.

She said the wines produced in the region greatly influenced her. Before she studied fine pastry in San Diego in 2005, she had already created a bread made with olives and rosemary to accompany locally produced wine and cheese.

"I believe that the key to this boom in cakes and pastries from Ensenada, relatively new, is the fresh ingredients," she said. "New and delicious flavors are being created, and above all, at prices affordable to the public."

Mariana Ibánez Rosiñol, co-owner of Pasteles Martha, one of the most well-known bakeries in the port, located downtown on calle Once (Eleventh Street), explained that the secret to her success are recipes her great-great grandmother and grandmother used to bake.

They started in a tiny bakery in the city's Moderna neighborhood and today have two other locations in Ensenada. Their signature cakes are made out of strawberry and cream and strawberry with chocolate.

Though she can't share any details, Ibáñez Rosiñol said all of her cakes are made with natural ingredients produced in Mexico.

Besides these establishments, located downtown and in the tourist zone, other fine bakeries are located at the Hotel Coral y Marina, at Punta Morro and restaurant Ophelia.

The locals swear that just one taste of these desserts can transport the person to an idealized past. What's more likely to happen, though, is the taste will inspire a big smile and a wink.

Omar.millan@sandiegored.com