Marinades : Recado Rojo
Typically when I think of a marinade I think of a liquid that something (usually meat) is immersed in so as to give it flavour or, in the case of tougher cuts of meat, to tenderise it. You marinate the meat by soaking it in the marinade. The word marinade hearks back to the use of salted water as a brining/pickling liquid (1). Generally anything … Continue reading Marinades : Recado Rojo
All Tequila is Mezcal BUT not all Mezcal is Tequila.
This is something you may hear regarding the differences between tequila and mezcal. Previously this little dicho (or saying) did bear some relevance as both tequila and mezcals are made from the maguey (or agave). The main difference was that mezcal could be made from any number of agaves (1) whilst tequila could be made from only one variety (2). Tequila is protected by both … Continue reading All Tequila is Mezcal BUT not all Mezcal is Tequila.
Poetic Language of the Maguey.
There are many rituals and traditions that surround the imbibing of the life blood of the agave (1) and there is a deep poetry in the language used to describe its consumption. In some rituals of agricultural abundance pulque was poured onto the ground whilst planting the corn to increase the fertility of the earth and encourage the corn to grow. When drinking pulque the … Continue reading Poetic Language of the Maguey.
Edible Insects : Hormiga de miel : Honeypot ants
Honey ants, sometimes called honeypot ants, are found in a few arid areas of the world, including Mexico and Australia. “Honeypot ant” is a common name for the many species of ant with workers that store honey in their abdomen. Honey pot ants are not a separate ant species, but rather a specialised role taken by designated worker ants of various different species. These individuals, … Continue reading Edible Insects : Hormiga de miel : Honeypot ants
Xochipilli : Hymn to Xochipilli
Lyric wordplay is a rich cultural tradition in México. In the days of the Aztec poetry and its performance was known as in xochitl in cuicatl (1) (“flower and song” or songs of flowers) and those adept in it were known as xochitlahtoanime (flowerspeakers) or cuicapicque (songmakers). Flowers contained deep symbolic meaning in Aztec philosophy and the very structure of the Universe itself was modelled … Continue reading Xochipilli : Hymn to Xochipilli
Edible Insects : Escamoles
Escamoles are the larvae and pupae of Liometopum apiculatum (1) ants, a species of ant in the subfamily Dolichoderinae. originally named Formica masonium Also called Velvety tree ants, la hormiga pedorra (the farting ant)(1), hormiga güijera, chiquereis, chiquereyes, cuijes, güijes, hormiga de hueva, maicitos, tecates, teclates, tetlames, tetlas. so named because of the particular odour of the ants nests and the scent of the crushed … Continue reading Edible Insects : Escamoles
Essential Oil Properties
In many of the medicinal descriptions of plants I note the chemical constituents of plants. For those who know of such things these chemicals will indicate the healing potential of the plant. Essential oils can be drawn from a plant in a number of ways. The two most important being a steam extraction of the oil or the oils that are extracted via alcohol when … Continue reading Essential Oil Properties
Frutos de Cactus : Garambullo
Myrtillocactus geometrizans Syn. Myrtillocactus grandiareolatus; Cereus geometrizans Mart. ex Pfeiff.; Cereus pugioniferus Lem.; Myrtillocactus pugionifer (Lem.) A.Berger. Myrtillocactus, in Latin, literally means “blueberry cactus”. From the medieval Latin myrtillus (diminutive of Latin myrtus) which is an obsolete spelling of mirtilo (which means “blueberry”). also called : bilberry cactus, whortleberry cactus, blue candle cactus. It gets its common name from fruits which resemble those of a … Continue reading Frutos de Cactus : Garambullo
Bougainvillea : Bugambilia
B. spectabilis also known as paper flower (English); Buganvilla, Bugambilea, Napoleón , Veranera, Trinitaria , Santa Rita, and Papelillo (en espanol); bougainvillier (French), buganvillea (Italian); bunga kertas (Indonesian); felila (Japanese); bouganvila (Konkani); buginvila (Malay); cherei (Manipuri); bogambilya (tagalog); kagithala puvvu (Telugu); fuang fah (Thai); bong giay (Vietnamese); booganbel (Hindi); baganbilas (Bengali); mao bao jin, ye zi hua (Chinese); This plant is native to eastern South … Continue reading Bougainvillea : Bugambilia
Xochipilli : Beyond Gender
This is the Xicalcoliuhqui symbol that can be found all throughout Mesoamerica on buildings, artwork, clothing, and even war shields. It is the oldest and most widespread symbol of duality that exists in Mesoamerican cultures. Xicalcoliuhqui, also referred to as a “step fret” or “stepped fret” design, is a common motif in Mesoamerican art. It is composed of three or more steps connected to a … Continue reading Xochipilli : Beyond Gender
Masa Americana 