We all know (at least I hope we all know) that the home of the tomato is Mesoamerica. This where the greatest genetic diversity of this plant can be found. If we include the cultivars as well as the heirloom and landrace varieties there are over 10,000 (that’s right TEN THOUSAND) types of tomato out there (Moore 2021). In Nahuatl this fruit was known as … Continue reading The Queen of Tomatillos : Reina de Malinalco
Cover Images : La Antigua Roma, Las Duelistas, La hermosa Hortensia, La Xóchitl y La gloria de Neza. Foto: Facebook/La Joya De La Santa María Facebook/Conecta CDMX. Facebook/Pulqueria La Gloria Neza Facebook/Pulquería La Antigua Roma Twitter/@cuixan I love pulque and I love medicinal herbs so I was quite intrigued by a Post by Carmen Julia Figueredo Urbina. Copaloctli, pulque de incienso o Tolonche. ¿Lo han … Continue reading Pulque Curado : Tolonche
Cover Image : Puchas from the Panadería La Purisima De Silao in Guanajuato, Mexico My last Post (1) was borne from a readers comment regarding tequesquite. Tequesquite is a natural mineral salt that has been used in Mexico since pre-Hispanic times (mainly as a culinary ingredient/food seasoning). It was mentioned in an historical document from 1844 that was a list of ingredients, and their costs, … Continue reading Puches : Part 2 : Puches or Puchas?
Cover Image via Commonwealth of Social Services (Sierra Norte de Madrid) I received some interesting feedback on the Post Tequesquite from an independent historian in New Mexico (1) who noted that tequesquite was listed in a document from 1844 (2) that listed it as an ingredient in a dish called “puches”. The document was part of a folio regarding a 16th of September (3) celebration … Continue reading Puches
I have previously investigated the identity of this particular quelite in an earlier Post : Tepepapaloquilitl. In the mountains outside Toluca there is a root called “chautl” which comes from a plant identified by locals as papalo. This may be the same plant as tepepapaloquilitl (1). The Aztecs used the root of tepepapaloquilitl as a vegetable. The root of the chautl (2) is also used as a … Continue reading Chautl. A porophyllum?
Poblano chiles are not commonly found in my part of Australia and I was lucky enough to find some in a large chain supermarket. Previously the only way I could access them is through the canned product. The San Miguel brand (see cover picture) was the only I had seen and it wasn’t until I visited México that I actually ate a fresh chile (chiles … Continue reading Rajas. Poblanos (por supuesto)
This is the first of my Cheat Posts. As a chef I am always interested in new ingredients and it is always exciting when these ingredients are from Mesoamerica. As a single mother I am always looking for food that is both healthy and exciting (if not exciting then at least interesting) for my child and, as a time poor single mother, I am always … Continue reading Kitchen Cheat : Chorizo & New Ingredient : Spaghetti Squash
In this case the text in question is Nuevo Cocinero Mejicano (1) En Forma De Diccionario (1888) Mejico or Mexico? and why? See the link to David Bowles etymological journey in the website references. See also my earlier Post : Origins of the words Aztec and Mexico I stumbled across this text purely by luck. In response to a readers comments regarding tequesquite (1) being … Continue reading Quelites in Old Texts
Chaoacocopin has been previously noted as one of the common names of Papaloquelite (Porophyllum macrocephalum) (1). I have come across this plant in an old text and would like to delve a little more deeply into this particular pore leaf (P.macrocephalum is most definitely my favourite pore leaf so far. I am however waiting to get the chance to grow some of the narrow leaved … Continue reading Papaloquelite : Chaoacocopin
When you think of rice in Mexican cuisine it is often as rice, beans and tortillas. Rice beans and tortillas is often the only food available to the poorest (financially speaking) people in México (1). Rice (Oryza sativa) is considered to have reached the New World via two main means. Initially it was introduced by Spanish colonists through the port of Vera Cruz, probably in … Continue reading Green Rice : Arroz Verde
Masa Americana 