The Queen of Tomatillos : Reina de Malinalco
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
Pulque Curado : Tolonche
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
The Pore Leaf in Brazil
Porophyllum ruderale can be found as an urban weed in Brazil with it growing in both urban areas and in high altitude fields. Confirmed sightings of the species have been made at…… North (Acre, Amazonas, Amapá, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, Tocantins) Northeast (Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte, Sergipe) Central-west (Distrito Federal, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso) Southeast (Espírito Santo, … Continue reading The Pore Leaf in Brazil
Puches : Part 2 : Puches or Puchas?
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 It was mentioned in an historical document from 1844 that was a list of ingredients, and their costs, … Continue reading Puches : Part 2 : Puches or Puchas?
Puches
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
Xochipilli : Intoxicating Scent.
Cover image : cacaloxochitl (Nahuatl raven – flower)(Plumeria rubra) or the Frangipani tree. This tree was highly prized in Aztec society. It was planted in the gardens of the elite classes of society and, amongst the Maya, plumeria was associated with deities representing life force and fertility. The flowers became strongly connected with a wide range of expressions of female sexuality (Zumbroich 2013). Intoxication need … Continue reading Xochipilli : Intoxicating Scent.
Skunkweed and the Skunk
Cover Image via Sensi Seeds (this Post does not cover cannabis at all. In English, ‘skunk’ has become slang for any potent, high-THC strain of cannabis. The media often uses ‘skunk’ to define ‘street weed’, usually in a derogatory fashion. In fact, Skunk #1 is the official name of one of the oldest and most popular strains of cannabis, and there is a ‘Skunk family’ … Continue reading Skunkweed and the Skunk
Chautl. A porophyllum?
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?
Rajas. Poblanos (por supuesto)
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)
Kitchen Cheat : Chorizo & New Ingredient : Spaghetti Squash
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
Masa Americana 