Ayauhtona. Another Poreleaf?
Welcome to my 200th Post. My initial reason for starting this Blog began with a single herb; Papaloquelite. I first came across this herb when I was searching for cilantro substitutions and it was a book by a German chef (Christian Teubner) that introduced me to the first in this family, Quillquina (Porophyllum ruderale) (1). Richters Herbs in Canada has been growing and selling herbs … Continue reading Ayauhtona. Another Poreleaf?
Taco Travesty
Don’t judge me. OK, maybe you can judge just a little bit (but not like the stupid laughing cow). It appears that the more commercialised a taco is the further it strays from Gods light. I came upon this culinary travesty in my local dependant grocer. It reminded me of the sin against nature known as the “gas station burrito” and I knew that, without … Continue reading Taco Travesty
Máscara Maya? Mayan Mask?
This Post is just a bit of a self indulgence. I have a small collection of masks and am particularly interested in prehispanic designs. I came across this mask on a local Facebook Marketplace posting. It appears to be quite touristic in nature and I wanted to share the find with a Mexican folk art group in an attempt to find more detail on it. … Continue reading Máscara Maya? Mayan Mask?
Cempasuchil Confusion During Dia de Muertos.
It’s that time of year again. No! Not pumpkin spice season. Dia de Muertos season cabrones (pardon my Galician). This means it is cempoalxóchitl (1) season (2). I have Posted on this herb/flower previously (3). This previous Post discussed the edible and medicinal uses of cempasuchil (and supplies a few recipes too) My social media feeds of late have been filled with a lot of … Continue reading Cempasuchil Confusion During Dia de Muertos.
Ixmiquilpan : Land of the Obsidian Arrow Quelite
Ixmiquilpan, equivalent to Nahuatl Itzmiquilpan, from itzmīquilitl (purslane/verdolagas) + -pan (locative suffix), from Mezquital Otomi Nts’u̱tk’ani, from tsꞌu̱tkꞌǎni (purslane). Ixmiquilpan is a city and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo. It is located in the central west part of the state of Hidalgo in central-eastern Mexico. The first ethnic group to settle in the Mezquital Valley in Hidalgo state were a group of Otomies … Continue reading Ixmiquilpan : Land of the Obsidian Arrow Quelite
Quelite : Piojito : Galinsoga parviflora
Researching this herb has been a joy. It has identified a plant I have seen (as a weed) and am now able to identify as a useful quelite. Research has also uncovered several related plants that also fall into the same categories as weed/quelite. This has expanded my knowledge both as a medical herbalist and as a chef. These are the plants I find the … Continue reading Quelite : Piojito : Galinsoga parviflora
Identify Me : Am I a Poreleaf?
Cover image by Cempasúchil Tattoo in Morelia via Facebook An inquisitive botanist, Carmen Thierry, has posted on the Facebook page “Identificación de plantas mexicanas” an image of a plant she seeks the identification of. This is quite an attractive flower and, at first glance, my initial impression was that this was a variety of narrow leaved poreleaf (Porophyllum species) in the vein of chepiche/pipicha/pipitza although … Continue reading Identify Me : Am I a Poreleaf?
Medicinal Ash.
The tortilla is without a doubt a wonder food. It is produced from that quintessential of all Mexican grains maize (1). Maize is a highly nutritious plant (2) The figures below show the nutritional profile of nixtamalized corn tortillas (and some of their offspring such as totopos/corn chips) in comparison with that of white bread. The plain corn tortilla is nutritionally superior to white bread … Continue reading Medicinal Ash.
Cooking Technique : Tatemar : “Chef, you realise you’re burning that?”*
*Quote from Podcast interview with Aaron Sanchez : Cooking in Mexican From A to Z : A Culinary Journey to the Soul of Mexican Cuisine. Episode 13 (March 17 2021) : Mole Through the Generations. A (non-Mexican) chef was commenting on a (Mexican) chefs preparation of ingredients for a mole negro. Cover Image is from a supermercado in Matamoros that “tatemars” your chiles for you. … Continue reading Cooking Technique : Tatemar : “Chef, you realise you’re burning that?”*
Mole de Olla
Let’s deconstruct a recipe. ¡A darle que es mole de olla! A popular saying of Mexican origin that variously translates to….. Mole de olla (1) is a traditional Mexican soup. It is made of xoconostle, squash, zucchini, green beans, corn, potato (or other vegetables), chambarete and aguja (cuts of meat), submerged into a broth of chile guajillo and chile pasilla seasoned with garlic, onion, and … Continue reading Mole de Olla
Masa Americana 