So. What is Mike complaining about? The radish (rábano en español) The radish (Raphanus sativus) is a flowering plant in the mustard family, Brassicaceae, which also includes Brassica rapa – the turnip, Brassica oleracea – the cabbage and its relatives (1); and Armoracia rusticana – horseradish. Other herbs in this family include arugula (rocket), mustard, and watercress (horseradish should be here I guess. I consider … Continue reading Rábano. The Radish.
We can thank Mexico (and mesoamerica in general) for chocolate. How chocolate is done outside of Mexico is very different to how it was traditionally used. One aspect of this is the variety of drinks produced from chocolate (1) and another is the equipment used. I have looked at one of these tools previously (2) and today I would like to look at another, the … Continue reading Mexican Cooking Equipment : The Alcahuete
I briefly look at the masa based drink called atole in a couple of earlier Posts (1)(2) and I recommend you check these out for a little more context (culturally speaking). They’ll introduce you to the core ingredient (and arguably the basis of life in Mexico), the nixtamalised corn dough called masa, and it will introduce you to an archetypal piece of Mexican cooking equipment, … Continue reading A Naturopathic View of the Aztec Diet : Part 2 : Appendix 2 : Chocolate Drinks
“We must repeat it: Mesoamericans do not plant corn, Mesoamericans make cornfields. And they are different things because corn is a plant and the cornfield is a way of life. The cornfield is the matrix (womb) of Mesoamerican civilization. If we really want to preserve and strengthen our deep identity, not only agroecological but also socio-economic, cultural and civilizational, we must move from the corn … Continue reading A Naturopathic View of the Aztec Diet : Part 2 : Diet
I have previously pondered over the next subject (and continue to do so) on a fairly regular basis. My ponderings are of course slanted by my own psyche (and a psyche that was constructed under the banner of Roman Catholicism no less). It has been stated that there were no Aztec Gods and that these “Gods” were in fact philosophical constructs created to bring into … Continue reading Teotl. Gods? Forces of Nature?
I have just gained some insight into a mask in my collection that, when I initially purchased it, was told it was African in design. It has however been pointed out by a Filipino friend that it is not African but that it is from the Philippines and represents a mythical serpent spirit known as Bakunawa (1). The Philippines (officially the Republic of the Philippines) … Continue reading Mis Mascaras : The Bakunawa
This last Saturday 26th October 2024 the Friends of Mexico held a celebration of Dia de Muertos for the people of Perth in Western Australia. The event was sponsored by the West Australian Museum as part of their cultural exchange program Boola Bardip (Many Stories) Dia de Muertos is a time of celebration and remembrance amongst the peoples of Latin America and is celebrated in … Continue reading FOMEX and Dia de Muertos 2024
It is that time of year again. The days are waning, the nights are cooling (well they would be if I was Northern hemispherical) and my feeds are filling up with the autumnal imagery of this season of spirits. The boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead fluctuate and bleed into each other and we welcome the memories of those who have … Continue reading Cempasúchil and Popocatepetl
Purchased online (through eBay) as a gift for my birthday in 2024 The seller advertised the piece as being An extremely beautiful work of ancient mesoamerican religious art, carved in a very nice deep green “Chalchihuitl” (1) Jade Stone and notes that this item……DEPICTS A VERY CLASSIC TEOTIHUACAN CULTURE JADE FACE WITH ITS RITUAL NOSEPLUG. It was 100% handcarved from a deep green Jade Stone … Continue reading Mascara de Xochipilli?
First. Some definitions (Max if you are reading this I apologise in advance). I am not a seagoing man (and, much to the chagrin of many a family member, nor am I even an avid fisherman – I am a cook though so bring me your fish, cackers and abalone and I’ll do something with those). Personally I think that with all the krakens and … Continue reading The Tallship Cuauhtémoc
Masa Americana 