Category: Food and Drink

Mexico Cooks!: A Look Back at 2011 in the Kitchen

7 de January de 2012
Feliz Año Nuevo (Happy New Year), Mexican Style

In Mexico and other Latin American countries, women wear yellow underwear on New Year's Eve to bring good luck and wealth in the year to come. Red underwear indicates a New Year's wish for an exciting love interest!

Superstition or not, many people here in Mexico have the custom of ritos del Año Nuevo (New Year's rituals). Some rituals include foods, others prescribe certain clothing, and still others warrant attention for religious interest.

As the clock strikes midnight, it's common to eat twelve grapes–one at each ding, one at each dong of the bell. While eating the grapes, you make a personal wish for each grape you consume, welcoming the new year that's beginning. Mexico Cooks! finds that it's helpful to write down the twelve wishes so as not to forget one or choke in the rush to swallow the grapes before the clock finishes striking the New Year's earliest hour!

Eating a tablespoonful of cooked lentils on New Year's Eve is said to bring prosperity and fortune. You can also give raw lentils–just a handful–to family and friends with the same wish.

On a small piece of paper, write down the undesirable habits and customs you'd like to let go of in the New Year that's just starting. Burn the paper, then follow through with the changes!

Choose three stones that symbolize health, love, and money. Put them in a place where you will see them every day.

Light candles: blue for peace, yellow for abundance, red for love, green for health, white for spirituality, and orange for intelligence.

Spill clean water on the sidewalk in front of your house as the clock rings in the New Year. Your house will be purified and all tears will be washed away.

To have money for your needs all year, have some bills in your hand or in your pocket to welcome the arrival of the New Year. Some people fold up the money and put it in their shoes!

Take your suitcase for a walk. Legend is that the farther you walk with your suitcase, the farther you'll travel. Several New Year's Eves ago, Mexico Cooks! and a few friends celebrated by walking our suitcases around the block, and we all traveled far and wide during the new year that followed.

Mexico Cooks! wishes all of you a muy Próspero Año Nuevo–and especially wishes that your red underwear brings you (or keeps you) the love of family, friends, and that special someone.

We'll see you in 2012!

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

Disclaimer: Marca País-Imágen de México is a joint public and private sector initiative designed to help promote Mexico as a global business partner and an unrivaled tourist destination. This program is designed to shine a light on the Mexico that its people experience every day. Disclosure: I am being compensated for my work in creating content for the Mexico Today program. All stories, opinions, and passions for all things Mexico that I write on Mexico Cooks! are completely my own.

31 de December de 2011
The Mexican Nativity Scene at Christmas: El Nacimiento

A Christmas tree may be the central focus of your home decoration during this joyous season of the Christian year. In most parts of Mexico, the Christmas tree is a fairly recent import and the primary focus of the holiday is still on the nacimiento (manger scene, creche, or nativity scene).

One of Mexico Cooks!' biggest delights every late November and early December is shopping for Christmas–not hunting for gifts, but rather for new items to place in our nacimiento (manger scene). Truth be told, we have five nacimientos–or maybe six–that come out each Christmas season, but only one of them keeps growing every year.

The tiny figures in this nacimiento are made of clay; the choza (hut) is made of wood. The shepherds and angels have distinctive faces; no two are alike. One shepherd carries firewood, another a tray of pan dulce (sweet breads), a third has a little bird in his hands. The tallest figures measure only three inches high. The Niño Dios (Baby Jesus) is not usually placed in the pesebre (manger) until the night of December 24. The Niño Dios for this nacimiento is just over an inch long and is sleeping on his stomach with his tiny knees drawn up under him, just like a real infant. This nacimiento was made about 25 years ago in Tonalá, Jalisco, Mexico.

Mexican households traditionally pass the figures for their nacimientos down through the family; the figures begin to look a little tattered after traveling from great-grandparents to several subsequent generations, but no one minds. In fact, each figure holds loving family memories and is the precious repository of years of 'remember when…?'. No one cares that the Virgin Mary's gown is chipped around the hem or that St. Joseph is missing an arm; remembering how the newest baby teethed on the Virgin's dress or how a long-deceased visiting aunt's dog bit off St. Joseph's arm is cause for a family's nostalgic laughter.

Nacimiento en vivo (living nativity scene), Lake Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico. In 13th century Italy, St. Francis of Assisi was inspired to re-enact the birth of Christ. The first nacimiento was presented with living creatures: the oxen, the donkey, and the Holy Family. Even today in Mexican communities, there are hundreds of living manger scenes.

Holy Family, 18th century Italy. The first nativity figures, made of clay, were created in 15th century Naples and their use spread rapidly throughout Italy and Spain. In Spain, the early figural groups were called 'Belenes' (Bethlehems).

A few weeks before Christmas, our tiny nacimiento de plomo (manger scene with lead figures, none over four inches high) comes out of yearlong storage. The wee village houses are made of cardboard and hand-painted; each has snow on its roof and a little tree in front. You might well ask what the figures in the photo represent: el Sr. San José (St. Joseph, who in Mexico always wears green and gold) leads the donkey carrying la Virgen María (the Virgin Mary) on their trek to Belén (Bethlehem). We put these figures out earliest and move them a bit closer to Bethlehem every day. This nacimiento is the one that grows each year; we have added many figures to the original few. This year we expect the total number of figures to rise to more than 60.

Click on the photo and you will see that the Holy Family has not yet arrived in Bethlehem; the choza is empty and St. Joseph's staff is just visible in the lower right-hand corner. Click to enlarge the photo to better see the figures in the nacimiento: gamboling sheep, birds of all kinds, shepherds, shepherdesses, St. Charbel, an angel, and Our Lady of Guadalupe are all ready to receive the Niño Dios (Baby Jesus). Notice the upright red figure standing in the Spanish moss: that's Satan, who is always present in a Mexican nacimiento to remind us that although the birth of Jesus offers love and the possibility of redemption, sin and evil are always present in the world.

Detail of the lead figures in our ever-growing nacimiento. To the left is a well (with doves) and a woman coming to draw water; to the right is an arriero (donkey-herder) giving his little donkey what-for. No matter how many figures are included, the central figures in any nacimiento are the Holy Family (St. Joseph, the Virgin Mary, and the Baby Jesus). In Mexico, those three are collectively known as el misterio (the mystery).

A very small portion of one of the largest nacimientos on display in Mexico City. It measures more than 700 square meters and includes thousands of figures. They include everything you can think of and some things that would never occur to you: a butcher shop, a running stream and a waterfall, sleeping peasants, and washerwomen. A nacimiento can include all of the important stories of the Bible, from Genesis to the Resurrection, as well as figures representing daily life–both today's life in Mexico and life at the time of Jesus's birth. Photo courtesy El Universal.

Papel roca (hand-painted paper for decorating a nacimiento), a choza (little hut), and two kinds of moss for sale in this booth at the Guadalajara tianguis navideño (Christmas market). This year, Mexico Cooks! has purchased figures of a miniature pre-Hispanic loinclothed warrior, a tiny shoemaker working at his bench, a wee man sawing firewood, and a shepherd standing under a tree while holding a lamb. The shepherd's tree looks exactly like a stalk of broccoli and makes us smile each time we look at it.

Where in Mexico can you buy figures for your nacimiento? Every city and town has a market where, for about a month between the end of November and the first week in January, a large number of vendors offer items especially for Christmas. Some larger cities, like Mexico City, Guadalajara, Morelia, and others, offer several tianguis navideños (Christmas markets) where literally thousands of figures of every size are for sale. Last year we found a tiny figure of the seated Virgin Mary, one breast partially exposed as she nurses the Niño Dios, who lies nestled in her arms. It's the only one like it that we have ever seen.

This booth at a tianguis navideño in Guadalajara offers Niños Dios in every possible size, from tiny ones measuring less than three inches long to babies the size of a two-year-old child. In Mexico City's Centro Histórico, Calle Talavera is an entire street devoted to shops specializing in clothing for your Niño Dios. The nacimiento is traditionally displayed until February 2 (Candlemas Day), when the Niño Dios is gently taken out of the pesebre in a special ceremony called the levantamiento (raising). The nacimiento is then carefully stored away until the following December.

Near Mexico City's Basílica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, this religious goods store also advertises that it will dress the Niño Dios for your nacimiento.

Piles of gold and silver glitter cardboard stars of Bethlehem, for sale at the tianguis navideño in southern Mexico City's Mercado Mixcoac.

An assortment of clay figures for your nacimiento: villagers, chickens, and vendors. Size and scale don't matter: you'll find crocodiles the size of your little finger and elephants bigger than a soft drink can. Both will work equally well in your nacimiento.

Giant flamingos go right along with burritas (little donkeys). Why not?

Each traditional figure in a nacimiento is symbolic of a particular value. For example, the choza (the little hut) represents humility and simplicity. Moss represents humilty–it's something that everyone steps on. The donkey represents the most humble animal in all creation, chosen to carry the pregnant Virgin Mary. The star of Bethlehem represents renewal and unending light.

Which diablito (little devil) tempts you most, the one with the money bag or the one with the booze?

How many shepherds do you want? This Guadalajara tianguis navideño booth has hundreds, and in sizes ranging from an inch to well over a foot tall.

It wouldn't be a Mexican nacimiento without tortillas!

This Christmas, Mexico Cooks! wishes you all the blessings of the season. Whatever your faith, we hope you enjoy this peek at the nacimiento, one of Mexico's lasting traditions.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

24 de December de 2011
Christmas–Piñata Time in Mexico!

Traditional piñatas ready for sale decorate the door to the Hernández family's tiny taller (workshop) on Av. Lázaro Cárdenas in Morelia, Michoacán.

Among clean ollas de barro (clay pots), plastic receptacles filled with engrudo (flour/water paste), and colorful, neatly stacked rounds of papel de china (tissue paper), Sra. María Dolores Hernández (affectionately known as Doña Lolita) sits on an upturned bucket. She'll celebrate her 80th birthday on December 24, and she still lights up–just like a Christmas tree–when she talks about her business and her life.

The last point of the star-shaped piñata is in Doña Lolita's hands, nearly ready to be glued into place.

"When I was a young woman, raising my family together with my husband, it was hard for us to make a good living here in Morelia. We had eight children (one has died, but six girls and a boy survive) and we struggled to make ends meet. My husband was a master mason, but I wanted to help out with the finances. I knew a woman who made piñatas, and I thought, 'I can do that.' So I started trying my hand, nearly 60 years ago."

Doña Lolita adds another layer of newspaper to this piñata in progress. "You can't put too much newspaper on the pot, because it will take too long to break," she explained. "And you can't put too little on it, either, because then the first child to hit it will break it. That's no good, either. You just have to know how much to use." Click on the photo to enlarge it and get a good look at the clay pot inside the paper maché.

"The woman who made piñatas wouldn't give away her secrets, so I had to figure everything out for myself. You should have seen me the first time I tried to make a bird's beak for a parrot-shaped piñata! A man I knew told me to make it out of chapopote (a kind of tar), so I did. It hardened all right, but later in the day the weather warmed up and that beak dripped down to here! What a mess! I finally figured out how to make the shape out of paper, but I just about broke my head thinking about it!"

Pre-cut rounds of papel de china (tissue paper) wait to be glued onto a piñata. The black plastic bag holds strips of newspaper.

Doña Lolita told me about the different grades of paper used to create different styles of decoration on the piñata, and she explained different kinds of paper-cutting techniques; she's absolutely the expert. Here, her son-in-law Fernando cuts tissue paper for fringe. His hands are so fast with the scissors it made my head spin; he can even cut without looking.

"In those days, the clay pots cost four and a half pesos for a gross–yes, for 144. In the old days, I usually sold about 7,000 piñatas every December, so you can imagine the investment I made just in clay pots. In the 1960s, I could sell a large piñata for seven pesos. Now–well, now the pots are much more expensive, so naturally the piñatas cost more, too. The large ones cost 45 pesos. This year, I'll sell about 1,000 piñatas just for the posadas. "

Piñatas in various stages of completion hang from every beam in Doña Lolita's tiny workshop.

"When my daughter Mercedes was about eight years old, she wanted to learn to make piñatas. She'd been watching me do it since she was born. So I taught her, and I've taught the whole family. Piñatería (making piñatas) is what's kept us going." Doña Lolita smiled hugely. "My children have always been extremely hard workers. There was a girl for each part of making the piñatas. Every year, we started making piñatas in August and finished at the beginning of January.

This gigantic piñata, still unfinished, measures almost six feet in diameter from point to point.

"One time, we had so many piñatas to finish that I didn't think we could do it. So I thought, 'if we work all night long, we can finish them by tomorrow morning.' Only I couldn't figure out how to keep the children awake to work all night." She laughed. "I went to the drugstore and bought pills to stay awake. I knew I could keep myself awake, but I gave one pill to each of the children. And in just a little while, I was working and they were sleeping, their heads fell right down into their work! What! Those pills didn't work at all! The next day I went back to the drugstore and asked the pharmacist about it. 'Oh no! I thought you asked me for pills to make them sleep!' he said." Doña Lolita laughed again. "We finished all the piñatas in spite of those pills, but you had better believe me, I never tried anything that foolish again."

Doña Lolita builds piñatas with her son-in-law, Fernando Cedeño Herrera (left), her daughter Mercedes Ayala Hernández, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren. A close friend, Oswaldo Gutiérrez López (background), works with the family. Her grandson Enrique, 19, says he intends to keep the family business going.

Oswaldo Gutiérrez works on this piñata in the doorway of the tiny taller. Doña Lolita has taught many people the art of creating traditional piñatas, but her family and her loyal customers say she's the best piñatera (piñata maker) in Morelia.

"People come from everywhere to buy my piñatas. I don't have to take them out to sell; I only sell them here in the taller. Because they're so beautiful and well-made, all the best people in Morelia–and lots of people from other places–come to seek me out and order piñatas for their parties. I've taught my family that our work is our pride and our heritage, and my children have all taught their children the same. That is our legacy, our family tradition."

Fill the piñata with candy like these bags of traditional colación (hard candies especially for Christmas).

But why piñatas, and why in December? During the early days of the Spanish conquest, the piñata was used as a catechetical tool. The body of the piñata represented Satan; each of the seven points symbolized the seven capital sins (pride, lust, gluttony, rage, greed, laziness, and envy). Breaking the piñata equated with the triumph of good over evil, overpowering Satan, overcoming sin, and enjoying the delights of God's creation as they pour out of the piñata. Doña Lolita's most sought-after piñatas continue the traditional style, but she also creates piñatas shaped like roosters, peacocks, half-watermelons, deer, half moons, and once, an enormous octopus!

Now, for the nine nights from December 16 through December 24, Mexico celebrates las posadas. Each evening, a re-enactment of the Christmas story brings children dressed as la Virgencita María (ready to give birth to her baby) and her husband Sr. San José (and a street filled with angels, shepherds, and other costumed children) along the road to Bethlehem, searching for a place to stay. There is no place: Bethlehem's posadas (inns) are filled. Where will the baby be born! For the re-enactment, people wait behind closed doors at certain neighborhood houses. The santos peregrinos (holy pilgrims) knock, first at one door, then another. At each house, they sing a song, begging lodging for the night. At each house, the neighbors inside turn them away in song: 'No room here! Go away! Bother someone else!' Watch a lovely slide show: Las Posadas.

Freshly toasted cacahuates (peanuts) also stuff the piñata. The wooden box holding the peanuts is actually a measure, as is the oval metal box.

After several houses turn away la Virgen, San José, and their retinue, they finally receive welcome at the last designated house. After the pilgrims sing their plea for a place to stay, the guests assembled inside sing their welcome, "Entren santos peregrinos…" (Come in, holy pilgrims…). The doors are flung open, everyone piles into the house, and a huge party starts. Traditional foods like ponche (a hot fruit punch), buñuelos (a thin circle of fried dough covered with either sugar or syrup), and tamales (hundreds of tamales!) pour out of the kitchen as revelers sing villancicos (Mexican Christmas carols) and celebrate the coming of the Niño Dios (the Child Jesus). Finally, all the children line up to put on a blindfold and take swings at a piñata stuffed with candy, seasonal fruits, and peanuts.

This five-pound bag of hard candies shows a blindfolded (but peeking) boy ready to break open the filled piñata. Luis Gómez, a merchant at Local 290, Mercado Independencia in Morelia, offers these and other bags of piñata candies.

Mandarinas (tangerines) are in season at Christmastime and round out the goodies in lots of piñatas.

The piñata, stuffed with all it will hold, hangs from a rope during the posada party. A parent or neighbor swings it back and forth, up and down, as each child takes a turn at breaking it open with a big stick. Watch these adorable kids whack away.

The piñata, lovely though it may be, is purely temporary. Nevertheless, happy memories of childhood posadas with family and friends last a lifetime.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours

Disclaimer: Marca País-Imágen de México is a joint public and private sector initiative designed to help promote Mexico as a global business partner and an unrivaled tourist destination. This program is designed to shine a light on the Mexico that its people experience every day. Disclosure: I am being compensated for my work in creating content for the Mexico Today program. All stories, opinions, and passions for all things Mexico that I write on Mexico Cooks! are completely my own.

17 de December de 2011
La Casona Rosa: #1 Ranked Small Hotel Accomodations in Morelia, Michoacán–and Mexico Cooks!’ Top Choice

Creative, generous, and kind, Rose Calderone–occasionally of Chicago, currently of Morelia–is the founding mother at La Casona Rosa, her unique small hotel located at Galeana #274, Centro Histórico, Morelia, Michoacán. If you're going to Morelia, it's the place to stay for comfort, conversation, art, and impeccable information about all that central Michoacán has to offer.

Just so you know: I am proud to say that Rose Calderone is my friend. You know, then, that anything that Mexico Cooks! might say about her and her charming Morelia inn comes with a strongly positive bias. On the other hand, I can't think of a single person who has stayed at La Casona Rosa who came away as anything other than her friend and devoted client. Near the computer available for her guests' use is a small sign: "Enter as strangers – Leave as friends." In one clear sentence, Rose makes her philosophy as a host completely transparent.

Open the street door to La Casona Rosa and the long, lovely, flower-filled private patio stretches to welcome you.

Tripadvisor.com names La Casona Rosa the number one small hotel in Morelia and lists twenty-two reviews (and counting!) from completely satisfied customers. What they have to say speaks louder than any advertisement. One reviewer summed it up perfectly: "An Italian heart running a Mexican home: there's no better combination."

The guest dining room at La Casona. If you'd like to have a traditional and delicious Mexican meal cooked for you, just ask on-site manager María Armenta to prepare either breakfast or comida (Mexico's main meal of the day). The price is always fair and the food is out of this world.

The Colonial Suite–Mexico Cooks!' favorite home away from home. It won my heart with its en-suite bathroom and luxuriously comfortable bed, the cool breezes that pass through even on a warm spring day, its separate dining or conference room, and its Michoacán folk artisans' decor.

The Colonial Suite's en-suite bathroom. It's not huge, but it has all the things you need for your stay: a great shower, thick, thirsty towels, a hair dryer, and Michoacán-style homey charm. I took the towels down from the shelves so you could see for yourself just how wonderful they are!

The Colonial Suite's dining/conference table. Everything you see in the photograph–from the chairs to the candles and from the chest of drawers to the glorious clay pumpkins–is a product of one or another Michoacán artisan. Rose knows all the artisans and if you like, she'll make sure that you know them, too.

María Armenta, on-site manager at La Casona Rosa, with an equine friend. It's not a special Michoacán six-legged horse: the third set of hooves belongs to another horse, hidden behind the one in the photo. Photo courtesy La Casona Rosa.

Rose's staff at La Casona Rosa is as special as Rose herself is. Another Tripadvisor review (February 2011) reads: "Morelia is a peaceful, fascinating destination, and Casona Rosa is clean and convenient, and decorated in a charming Mexican manner. A well appointed kitchen is available for all residents. But the central delight of Casona Rosa is the attention offered by María Armenta, the manager. She is tireless in her concern to be helpful, and her advice on the local scene – where to shop, eat, sightsee, etc. – is excellent. She also has access to a wide variety of local services, including Jesús, the well informed, courteous and reliable taxi/limousine operator. Morelia is delightful, and with the help of people named María and Jesús, what can go wrong?"

If you're visiting Morelia as a family, the ground-floor Pátzcuaro Suite could be ideal. The suite sleeps four or even five, and La Casona also offers a crib if you're traveling with a baby or toddler.

Across the room in the Pátzcuaro Suite, this rustic table, bench, and chair are perfect for an end-of-the-day glass of wine–or a taste of Michoacán's artisan liquor, mezcal!

The second room in the Pátzcuaro Suite offers twin beds that can also be made up as one king-size bed. If you're traveling with children, this suite is equipped with games and other pasttimes for them.

The Rose Suite, where the reviewer quoted below stayed. This suite includes a small kitchen for guests' use, a private bathroom, and its own patio.

Another reviewer wrote at length on Tripadvisor: "We arrived in Morelia with backpacks and no accommodation booked. After walking the streets for a few hours…we found Casa Rosa. It is literally a little piece of heaven. Centrally located within easy walking distance of all the great sites,cathedral, museums, food options and drinking spots, this place is a total gem. María the host is a complete delight, graceful, friendly and welcoming, fluent in Spanish and English and a mine of information about Morelia. There are several sleeping options in this lovely renovated old house. The rooms are very spacious, beautifully decorated and with comfortable beds. There are rooms with one and two beds, an excellent kitchen, beautiful lounge and dining area, wonderful courtyard and a second formal dining room. We had two dinner parties with other guests in our 7 day stay! There is also a self-contained apartment at the back of the property with two bedrooms, mini rustic kitchen, bathroom and its own courtyard with sun and shade; this is where we stayed. Great for short and long stays. If you are in Morelia and you want charm, comfort, excellent location, very good value for money and wonderful hosts then Casa Rosa is the perfect choice."

In the fully equipped main kitchen–guests are free to use it–the corn on the Michoacán-made copper charger is real (and really that color) and so is the banana, but the red pepper is glass. Art mixes perfectly with nature at La Casona Rosa.

The ample bedroom of the Frida Suite. Rose is a huge fan of Frida Kahlo; you'll see her image at least once in most of La Casona's rooms. A reviewer on Tripadvisor said this: "The room that I am in–the Frida Suite–is quiet, bright, clean, and very comfortable. I've enjoyed making use of the kitchen for breakfast, and there always seems to be hot pot of coffee ready first thing in the morning."

The guests' living room. Just out of sight on the left is the stairway to the lovely guest bedrooms on La Casona's second floor. In addition to the already mentioned amenities at La Casona, guests have access to free long distance calls either within Mexico or to the United States. Just be sure you grab the right phone for the place you want to call–Rose or María will tell you which is which.

A posada–an inn–offers much more than shelter. The plaque at the side of the door reads, "Bienvenidos, mi casa es su casa." (Welcome, my house is your house). La Casona Rosa is truly a home away from home.

When you call for reservations, please make sure to tell them that Mexico Cooks! sent you. There's no kickback, of course, but I know that the fabulous Rose and her staff of magicians would be tickled to hear that I recommended them.

La Casona Rosa
Galeana #274
Morelia Centro Histórico
Michoacán, Mexico
To reserve, call from the USA: 1.773.696.5771
Within Mexico: 01.443.312.3127
To reserve online: onlinereservations@casadelarosa.info
https://www.facebook.com/lacasonarosa

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

3 de December de 2011
Travel+Leisure Gourmet Awards 2011, Mexico City Autumn Gala
The Travel+Leisure Mexico public relations team emailed Mexico Cooks! not long ago with a surprise invitation to attend its 2011 Gourmet Awards. The awards event, which a restauranteur friend called 'the Oscars of Mexican restaurant cooking', were held at the elegant and posh St. Regis Hotel here in Mexico City. The gala event featured nominated chefs from every part of Mexico. Photo courtesy Brad A. Johnson.

To open the recent 2011 Travel+Leisure Gourmet Awards, the producers invited all of the restaurant chefs in the audience to go onstage for what Travel+Leisure called a historic group photograph. Most of the current luminaries of Mexico's traditional and modern restaurant heavens were present. Although the event was held in Mexico City, attendees and nominated chefs came from every corner of the country. All photos courtesy Quien.com except as noted.

Manuel Rivera, above, is the general director of Travel+Leisure's Grupo Expansión. He reflected, "Eleven years in the communications industry have been accompanied by a series of culinary experiences that have served to increase my curiosity about what constitutes good food. What I like best are surprises: an unexpected flavor or texture."

In the mind of Mexico's modern culinary world, there was only one place to be on the night of the awards: in the Diamond Salon at the St. Regis Hotel. High-voltage energy fueled the tension that accompanied the wait for the awards ceremony.

Sommelier Glo Lescieur of Grupo La Castellana, snapped during the party with Mexico Cooks!. Photo courtesy Vinus Tripudium.

Travel+Leisure created eleven separate gastronomic awards categories. They were:
- Chef Promesa (Up and Coming Chef)
- Mejor Restaurante Cocina Regional y Tradicional (Best Regional and Traditional Restaurant)
- Mejor Restaurante de Hotel (Best Hotel Restaurant)
- Mejor Entrada (Best Appetizer)
- Mejor Plato Fuerte (Best Main Dish)
- Mejor Postre (Best Dessert)
- Mejor Menú Degustación (Best Tasting Menu)
- Mejor Concepto (Best-Conceived Restaurant)
- Mejor Arte al Plato (Best Presentation)
- People's Choice
- Best of the Best
A panel of fifteen experts–whether by vocation or avocation–was assembled to judge the categories. The panel of judges included Nicolás Alvarado, Mariana Camacho, Roberto Gutiérrez Durán, Patricio Villalobos, and Manuel Rivera of Travel+Leisure Grupo Expansión; media commentators Marco Hernández, León Krauze, Carlos Loret de Mola, Nicolás Vale; and wine experts Hans Backoff, Jr., Pablo Baños, and Paulina Vélez, in addition to Rectora Esmeralda Chalita Kaim of the Colegio Superior de Gastronomía, among others.

Chef Paulina Abascal and Juan Luis Rodríguez entertained the crowd as they presented the coveted awards. First one and then the other read the list of nominees; then they alternately announced the winners. Applause, whistles, and shouts of congratulations filled the room as the presenters read each winner's name.

Winners:
- Chef Promesa: Chef José Manuel Baños, Restaurante Pitiona, Oaxaca
- Mejor restaurante regional: Chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, Azul y Oro, DF
- Mejor restaurante de hotel: Chef Alejandro Ruíz, Casa Oaxaca, Oaxaca
- Mejor entrada: Foie de Algodón, Chef Mikel Alonso, Biko, DF
- Mejor plato fuerte: Escolar Verde Apio, Chef Mikel Alonso, Biko, DF
- Mejor postre: Creme Brulée de Pera, Chef Sonia Arias, Jaso, DF
- Mejor menú degustación: Pujol, Chef Enrique Olvera, DF
- Mejor concepto: La Leche, Chef Alfonso Cadena, DF
- Mejor arte del plato: Oca, Chef Vicente Torres, DF
- People's Choice: Paxia, Chef Daniel Ovadía, DF
- Best of the Best: Pujol, Chef Enrique Olvera, DF
Chef Mikel Alonso, Restaurante Biko, and Chef Sonia Arias, Restaurante Jaso, show off their awards.

Chef Alejandro Ruíz, Restaurante Casa Oaxaca, receives his award from the lovely Travel+Leisure's ceremony assistant.

Chef Daniel Ovadía, Restaurante Paxia, rejoiced over the People's Choice award. Rather than rely on its panel of experts, the Travel+Leisure website offered its readers a one-week opportunity to vote for their favorite restaurant and pick the People's Choice winner.

Chef Enrique Olvera and Restaurante Pujol received the Best of the Best "G" statuette, along with an original work created especially for the category by artist Manuel Monroy.

Chefs Gerarado Vázquez Lugo of Restaurante Nico's; Ricardo Muñoz Zurita of both Azul y Oro and Azul/Condesa; Carmen Titita Ramírez of El Bajío; Enrique Farjeat; Alicia Gironella d'Angeli of El Tajín, and Maritere Ramírez Degollado of Artesanos del Dulce celebrate at the cocktail reception following the awards ceremony. Photo courtesy Claudio Poblete.

Some of the eleven winners lined up for a photo: left to right, chefs Enrique Olvera, Daniel Ovadía, Sonia Arias, Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, Alfonso Cadena, José Manuel Baños, Alejandro Ruíz, and Mikel Alonso.

What can I say? It was a marvelous night, filled with stars and the chatter and gossip of a galaxy of friends. Some of the winners caused Mexico Cooks! to say, "Well, but of course!" and others were a big surprise. In saying thank you, every one of the winners echoed the thoughts of all of us watching: every restaurant depended on an entire team to achieve its success. No single chef won alone.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

Disclaimer: Marca País-Imágen de México is a joint public and private sector initiative designed to help promote Mexico as a global business partner and an unrivaled tourist destination. This program is designed to shine a light on the Mexico that its people experience every day. Disclosure: I am being compensated for my work in creating content for the Mexico Today program. All stories, opinions, and passions for all things Mexico that I write on Mexico Cooks! are completely my own.
26 de November de 2011
Casa Madero at Izote de Patricia Quintana: Wine Tasting and Menú de Degustación

Sr. Brandon Milmo, director of Casa Madero Winery (Parras, Coahuila, Mexico), chef Patricia Quintana, and don Pedro Poncelis, Mexico's premier sommelier, at Restaurante Izote de Patricia Quintana.

Rain! As Mexico Cooks! was leaving the house, as we finally grabbed a cab, while we were traveling (in rush hour traffic, of course) to Mexico City's upscale Colonia Polanco, the unseasonable rain bucketed down. But like magic, just as we pulled onto slightly nose-in-the-air Av. Presidente Masaryk (Mexico City's equivalent to New York's Fifth Avenue) the rain–and the cab–stopped. Respectably late, we strolled, blessedly dry and with umbrellas tightly furled, into Patricia Quintana's little piece of heaven: Restaurante Izote.

Casa Madero sponsored the Casa Grande Shiraz cata vertical (vertical wine tasting). In a vertical wine tasting, each of the wines served is the same, but from several different years. In this case, the Casa Grande Shiraz was from 2005, 2006, and 2007. Grown on the same vines but under slightly different climatic conditions, each year's crop had different fragrances, colors, and flavors.

Judith McKnight, left, enjoys the company of Mexico City wine expert Rondi Frankel (center) and Fabiola de la Fuente, editorial director of Food+Travel México magazine. We all found plenty to talk about before we were seated for the wine tasting and dinner pairings. A tidbit of information: Casa Madero, founded in 1597, is the oldest winery in the New World.

At first glance, these Casa Madero placemats appeared to have been already used, stained by circles of vino tinto (red wine). Several people (including Mexico Cooks!) not-so-surreptitiously touched the wine stains, only to discover that they were cleverly printed on the paper mat. Below each supposed stain was space for notes about each year's wine. Jorge Luis Trejo Villaseñor, Casa Madero's national sales manager, called my attention to the outstanding legend at the bottom of the placemat: A qué sabe un vino con 5 siglos de pasión? (What is the flavor of a wine with five centuries of passion?)

Casa Madero's director, Brandon Milmo, listens intently as elegant sommelier (highly trained wine steward) Claudia Juárez discusses the special characteristics of each of the three Shiraz wines. She wears the sommelier's formal uniform, including the tastevin on its chain.

The tastevin (saucer-like silver cup) was originally created by French winemakers to enable them to judge the clarity and color of wine that was stored in dim, candle-lit wine cellars. Regular wine glasses were too deep to allow for accurate judging of the wine's color in such faint light. Tastevin are designed with a shiny faceted inner surface. Often, the bottom of the cup is convex in shape. The facets, convex bottom, and the shiny inner surface catch as much available light as possible, reflecting it throughout the wine in the cup, making it possible to see through the wine.

With the advent of modern electric lights, the tastevin has very little practical use, although sommeliers often wear them on a ribbon or chain around the neck as a nod to tradition and a symbol of pride in their profession.

The three Casa Grande Shiraz pours; from left to right, 2005, 2006, and 2007.

While sommelier Claudia Juárez instructed us, we 50 guests of the house carefully tasted the three wines. Mexico Cooks! is a relative neophyte in the world of oenology, but the lessons of the evening were well learned. Really tasting wine isn't about pounding down a tumblerful of the rosé that you've poured from the cheap boxed wine in your refrigerator. Instead, there are qualities to look for in your glass: how does the wine look, from its color to its 'legs'? How does it smell–fruity, nutty, leathery, spicy? How does it taste–floral, peppery, acidic, light, heavy? Most important of all, of course, is whether or not you like what you're drinking.

A wine's 'legs' (also called 'tears') are the subtle traces left on the inner bowl of the glass after the wine is gently swirled around several times. Once thought to be an indicator of quality, experts now say that the legs are in fact a product of surface tension and an indicator of alcohol content. In the photograph, you have the best view of the legs at the bottom left corner of the flower arrangement.

After carefully tasting each individual Shiraz and then comparing the various merits of the three years, we began to enjoy the food maridaje (pairings with the wines). Chef Patricia Quintana, internationally known for Restaurante Izote, for her many cookbooks, her television shows, and her annual Aromas y Sabores tours, prepared a twelve-course tasting menu (yes, twelve courses!) consisting of eight savories and four sweets.

First course: timbal de frijol con morillas, queso pijijiapan y chile ancho con mezcal. In this case, the timbale is a cylindrical mold of beans filled with minced morel mushrooms and topped with cheese from Pijijiapan, Chiapas. You can see the sauce on the side.

Next, a taquito de cabrito con salsa verde–a freshly made corn tortilla wrapped around shredded goat meat, then fried and bathed with green sauce, Mexican table cream, and dusted with aged cheese. A chopstick, inserted into one end of the taquito, made for ease of handling.

Third course: enchiladas de queso asadero en salsa de jitomate con chile verde. Queso asadero is a melting cheese, used in this instance to fill the enchilada. The tomato and green chile sauce, along with the topping of thinly sliced onion, finely grated aged cheese, and shredded lettuce, were traditional accompaniments raised to a celestial level.

Fourth: pescado al vapor a la tinga con papa (steamed fish, in this case red snapper, in a spicy red sauce–all sitting on a slice of potato and wrapped for steaming in a banana leaf).

The banana leaf spread open, showing the pescado al vapor a la tinga con papa. This dish was my hands-down favorite. The mixture of flavors in the tinga combined with the sweet tenderness of the fish to explode in a sensational fiesta in my mouth.

Fifth course: ensalada de jitomatitos con vinagreta al Shiraz Casa Grande 2007. This salad is made of tiny grape tomatoes dressed with a vinaigrette made with the 2007 wine we were tasting. The presentation of this salad, as well as that of all the courses, was exquisite.

Sixth: camarones con azafrán y municiones (shrimp in saffron sauce with little pasta 'bullets'). Perfectly cooked shrimp-on-a-stick combined beautifully with the richly delicate flavor of saffron, but in my opinion the municiones were a mistake. The pasta gave the dish a texture that reminded me–and not in a good way–of tapioca pudding.

Seventh: enchiladas de mole negro (black mole enchiladas). Black mole is one of Mexico's most delicious sauces and this one was no exception. The combination of mole, sesame seeds, crisp tortilla, and shredded onions–wow!

All of us guests were of different opinions about which of the three years' Shiraz wines paired better with each of the courses we were eating, but many preferred the 2006 to the earlier or later year. The 2006 was Mexico Cooks!' favorite. Waiters circulated with bottles of each Shiraz, replenishing our wine glasses as we emptied them. At this point in the meal–after most of the courses had been served–many of us began requesting water rather than more wine!

Eighth: filete Doña Manuelita de Parras. This seared and crusty filet mignon was cooked exactly to medium rare. The accompaniments, including the stuffed chayote seen at the top, were excellent.

Chef Patricia Quintana gently tapped two copas (wine glasses) together to quiet the crowd before she spoke to us about the meal in progress. The flower in the photo's background images is the izote (the edible flower of the yucca cactus)for which she named her restaurant.

After the first eight courses, which were of course accompanied by liberal pourings of each of the three wines, most of the invited guests were simply unable to continue to the four-course dessert menu. Even though each of the savory courses was a small portion, their accumulated richness overpowered all but the most hardy souls. In addition, we finished the last of the savories at midnight! Reluctantly we congratulated the chef and kissed her goodbye, shook hands with the remaining guests, and made our way out into the starry late night, the chilly air cleansed by the earlier rain.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

Disclaimer: Marca País-Imágen de México is a joint public and private sector initiative designed to help promote Mexico as a global business partner and an unrivaled tourist destination. This program is designed to shine a light on the Mexico that its people experience every day. Disclosure: I am being compensated for my work in creating content for the Mexico Today program. All stories, opinions, and passions for all things Mexico that I write on Mexico Cooks! are completely my own.

19 de November de 2011
Organic Food and Locavores in Mexico City: Mercado el 100

Organically grown chilacayote (fig leaf gourd, Cucurbita ficifolia), available at Mercado de 100. In Mexico, the chilacayote is used above all as a vegetable, but it is also often cooked with piloncillo and other sweetening ingredients and eaten as a candy or as a filling for breads or pastries.

The locavore movement began in the United States late in the 1960s at a time when people began to awaken to the notion that it would be healthier for themselves and the planet if their food were produced close to home rather than hundreds or thousands of miles from their kitchens. Today, more people believe that local food systems, often marketing organically-grown products, offer choices that are superior to those proferred by global corporate models. Within the last few years, the locavore movement has come to Mexico City.

This full-size bronze replica of Michelangelo's David gazes from the fountain in the lovely Plaza Rio de Janeiro in Mexico City's Colonia Roma Norte. The Mercado de 100 sets up in this plaza, at the corner of Calle Durango and Calle Orizaba, every other Sunday morning.

In years gone by, all the world consisted of locavores. Produce and meats were not flown or trucked from faraway farms to our supermarkets. We ate what was seasonal, and most often we ate we we ourselves produced. In many parts of Mexico, this is still true today. However, with the country-wide incursion of giant globalized supermarket chains such as Comercial Mexicana, Soriana, Chedraui, Wal-Mart, and others, more and more food is commercially produced and brought to market from enormous distances.

Artisanal breads at Mercado de 100, including crossaints and whole grain loaves produced by Mexico City's Pan 100.

In 2009, a group of friends in Mexico City were the startup group for the non-profit society that directs Mercado de 100. Concerned about the quality of food available in most supermarkets in the city, they believed (and continue to believe) that the population of this enormous metropolis deserves a choice: the opportunity to eat fresh, pesticide free, locally grown food.

Locally grown organic lettuce.

Need an ecological, re-useable market bag? These come in several sizes and terrific colors.

When Mercado el 100 started in 2009, it was peripatetic–moving from one location to another every time it set up. Today, it has a permanent spot at the lovely Plaza Rio de Janeiro, one of the most beautiful small parks in Mexico City. A visit to the market on a sunny Sunday morning can easily entice you to continue your day with a leisurely stroll around this part of Colonia Roma.

Menu of cheeses from Finca VAI in Querétaro. Mexico Cooks! tasted the manchego and the reblochon; both are delicious. One of these days soon we hope to visit Finca VAI for a tour of its operation.

From left to right, organically grown pears, apples, and tomatoes.

Locally bottled salsas and vinegars.

A bird-ish basket full of quail eggs. Mexico Cooks! likes to use them blended raw into a licuado (a thick fruit drink similar to a smoothie) or soft-poached, to garnish individual bowls of Chinese watercress and pork soup.

Herbs and spices, all organically grown (the label attests to that) and pesticide-free. The booth also offers delicious jams and honey. Mexico Cooks! brought home a cup of fresh raspberry jam and a bag of gordolobo (Gnaphalium Sp.), a medicinal flower which is brewed into a tea and used as an expectorant.

A basketful of fresh organic epazote (wormweed), ready for a long simmer in a pot of beans.

Pre-Hispanic era treats in today's Mexico: clockwise from bottom left, dried corn with powdered chile, dried corn with honey and pinole, chapulines (grasshoppers), and pinole.

Artisan-made, locally-produced soaps from Xamania, which also offers earth-friendly body lotions and cosmetics.

Mercado el 100, open every two weeks in Plaza Rio Janeiro (at the corner of Calle Durango and Orizaba), Colonia Roma Norte, Mexico City. Tell them their friends at Mexico Cooks! sent you.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

Disclaimer: Marca País-Imágen de México is a joint public and private sector initiative designed to help promote Mexico as a global business partner and an unrivaled tourist destination. This program is designed to shine a light on the Mexico that its people experience every day. Disclosure: I am being compensated for my work in creating content for the Mexico Today program. All stories, opinions, and passions for all things Mexico that I write on Mexico Cooks! are completely my own.

12 de November de 2011
World Cultural Tourism Fair (Feria Mundial de Turismo Cultural) in Morelia, Michoacán

The World Cultural Tourism Fair logo, all lit up for the fair's opening night at Morelia's Teatro Ocampo.

For the second year in a row, Morelia, Michoacán was chosen as the site of the Feria Mundial de Turismo Cultural: the World Cultural Tourism Fair. Hot on the heels of Mexico City's FITA (International Tourism Fair of the Americas) at the end of September, Morelia captured a world-wide crowd of numerous exhibiting countries–including Indonesia, Slovakia, and Japan–plus twenty Mexican states, and several corporate exhibitors, all designed to attract tourism and travel both to Mexico and to their own venues.

Mexican federal tourism secretary Gloria Guevara Manzo with Mexico Cooks!, photographed at the Feria Mundical de Turismo Cultural opening night cocktail party. The party, held in the central patio of Morelia's beautiful mid-17th century Palacio Clavijero, included music, folkloric dancing, drinks, food, as well as great opportunities to make new acquaintances and hug old friends.

The delightful president of CONACULTA (Mexico's Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes–the national arts council), Dra. Consuelo Sáizar, spoke to inaugurate the FMTC, along with national tourism secretary Gloria Guevara Manzo, Michoacán's Governor Leonel Godoy, Michoacán and local Morelia tourism directors, and other state and national dignitaries.

The objective of the annual world cultural tourism fair is to offer a platform for global tourism industry operators, including travel agents, state and national tourism representatives from various international countries and Mexican states, and to ensure growth in this arm of the tourist industry. National Tourism Secretary Gloria Guevara Manzo assured the attendees that the event would enrich and strengthen the goals of the Mexican national tourism agreement, particularly in its sixth strategic pillar.

Michoacán state tourism secretary Lic. Thelma Aquique (right, in yellow) takes time out from the fair's intense schedule of events to talk with an attendee. Photo courtesy Estado de Michoacán.

During the three-day cultural tourism event, visitors, buyers, and exhibitors alike were treated to the best that Michoacán and Mexico have to offer. From the ceremonial cutting of the opening ribbon to exhibitions of Michoacán's folkloric dancing, regional foods, and the artisan work from several Mexican states, the booths filling Morelia's Casa de la Cultura (State Cultural Center) were packed with foreign and national buyers seeking ways to promote tourism.

Wood carvings from master sculptor Jesús Ursino Ramos Cota of Sinaloa. Tomatoes and corn are the two major agricultural products of Sr. Ramos's home state.

A gigantic hot air balloon made of paper. In Mexico, these are called globos de Cantoya. Their name comes from Sr. Joaquín de la Cantoya y Rico who lived in Guanajuato in the past century and allegedly began making these balloons. They are made of hundreds or even thousands of individual sheets of papel de china (tissue paper) and are expanded by a flame-generated hot air device carried in a small basket inside the balloon. This globo de Cantoya, two stories high, bears the logo of the 2011 Feria Mundial de Turismo Cultural. Click to enlarge the photo and see the connections of the tissue paper sheets.

To the delight of the crowd, the giant paper balloon sailed off successfully into Morelia's night sky.

This wooden indigenous Huichol sculpture of a deer, a bit more than two feet long from head to tail, is completely covered first with beeswax and then with thousands of individually hand-placed tiny beads. This particular sculpture originated in and was brought to the fair by representatives of the state government of Nayarit. Click to enlarge any photo for a better view.

Mexico's southernmost state, Chiapas, was represented at the Casa de la Cultura tourism booths by this lovely young woman in her ropa típica chiapaneca (typical dress of Chiapas). Entirely hand-sewn and hand-embroidered, the dress is worn in a folkloric ballet or for other folkloric events.

Banamex, one of Mexico's prominent banks, is a strong supporter of traditional arts and crafts and their makers throughout the country by way of its program Fomento Cultural Banamex, A.C.. The Banamex stand featured clay work from Santa Fe de la Laguna, Michoacán, as well as the extraordinary book Grandes Maestros del Arte Popular Mexicano (Great Masters of Mexican Popular Arts), which Banamex publishes.

This excellent brass band, dressed all in purple, played a public concert in the Plaza del Carmen, just behind the Casa de la Cultura, seat of the FMTC. While they played, their concert was also projected on the big screen behind them. The concert was part of the cultural program of the FMTC.

Morelia's cathedral. The city, named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1991. Its 16th century pink cantera (stone) buildings, its European air, its exquisite regional gastronomy, and its hundreds of tourist attractions make it the ideal setting for the Feria Mundial de Turismo Cultural.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

Disclaimer: Marca País-Imágen de México is a joint public and private sector initiative designed to help promote Mexico as a global business partner and an unrivaled tourist destination. This program is designed to shine a light on the Mexico that its people experience every day. Disclosure: I am being compensated for my work in creating content for the Mexico Today program. All stories, opinions, and passions for all things Mexico that I write on Mexico Cooks! are completely my own.

5 de November de 2011
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in the Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán Cemetery

Graves decorated for Noche de los Muertos (Night of the Dead) in the Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán panteón (cemetery). These recent graves lie within easy sight of the yácatas (Purhépecha pyramids, mid-center in the photograph) just across the road. The yácatas, dating to as early as 900 A.D., were formerly both a priestly burial site and the site of ancient Purhépecha religious ceremonies.

Rituals for the traditional Noche y Día de los Muertos (Night and Day of the Dead) take place all over Mexico on the night of November 1 and the day of November 2. One of the best-known celebrations of this enormously important spiritual holiday takes place in the town of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán. A visit to the town cemetery gives just a small idea of the beauty of the events. During this very Mexican, very special festival, the dead–at least in spirit–pay a visit to their loved ones here on earth. In an article in 2005, The New York Times quoted Mexico Cooks! as saying, "It's about mutual nostalgia: the living remember the dead, and the dead remember the taste of home."

The packed-earth paths among the graves at the cemetery in Tzintzuntzan wind through old trees and dappled sunshine.

This little car, decorated with cempasúchil (marigold) flowers, fruits, and pan de muertos (bread of the dead) in the shape of human figures, is the cemetery ofrenda (altar, or offering) for a baby born in October 2005 and dead the same November. Tiny white baby shoes are on the car's hood, along with a baby bottle. Click on any photo to enlarge it.

The faithful Purhépecha believe that the angelitos, the dead children, are the first of the departed who come to re-visit their loved ones each year during the day of November 1, arriving at noon. Their parents take an ofrenda (offering) of fruit, candies, and wooden toys to the children's graves and invite the little ones to come and eat. Late in the night, the godfather of a dead child goes to the cemetery with a boveda (arch) made of cempasúchil (marigolds). At home, the parents have already prepared beautiful altars to honor the memory and spirits of their children.

Cempasúchiles, gladiolas, and candles adorn this grave. The cross is made of red veladoras (candles in holders) in a framework of blue and white.

Each year, late in the night of November 1, the spirits of deceased adults make their way back to this earthly plane to visit their relatives. The living relatives, bearing food, bright golden flowers, strong drink, and other favorites of the dead, file into Purhépecha cemeteries to commune with those who have gone before. The assembled lay out blankets, unfold chairs, bring out plastic cups, cartons of beer, a bottle of tequila, and assorted food for their own consumption as they settle in for the long, cold night of vigil.

A band or two or three often wander the cemetery, hired for a song or two or three to entertain the living and the dead.

Copal incense burns, its mystic scent calling the souls of the dead home. Candles, hundreds and hundreds of candles, flicker on and around the graves, showing the way home to the wandering spirits. Food–especially corn tamales and churipo, a beef soup for festivals–and other personal gifts for the 'visitors' show the spirits that they are still valued members of their community. Special Purhépecha-style pan de muertos (bread of the dead) in the form of human bodies represents the relationship between the living and the dead. Seasonal fruits, including bananas, oranges, and limas, are hung on the ofrendas de cempasúchil to represent the relationship between nature and human beings.

This elaborate bóveda de cempasúchil (marigold arch) hung with an old family photograph and topped by a feather dove (the symbol of the Holy Spirit) decorates a family grave. Under the photograph, an angel stands vigil.

During the Día y Noche de Muertos fiesta, a loved one's grave becomes a place to pray, party, and reminisce. Candles, a glass of water to quench the deceased person's thirst, a bottle of his or her favorite liquor, and favorite foods such as mole or tamales, pan de muertos, calabaza en tacha, and seasonal fresh fruits are always placed on the grave. Baskets of favorite foods, prepared especially for the spirits of deceased family members, are covered with beautiful hand-embroidered cloths. The spirits partake of the food's essence; the living gather at the grave to partake of the material food.

Marigolds are used as symbols for their yellow color, which resembles the gold that was used as decoration for the ancient grand festivals. The flowers were used to adorn the visitor in the form of crowns or necklaces. Today, the belief is that the ofrendas de cempasúchil (marigold arches) aid the visiting spirits to identify their homes. Cempasúchil petals are also strewn over the bare earth mounds of the graves.

These modern coronas (wreaths) are made of ribbons and plastic, much more durable than fresh flowers. The brilliant colors eventually fade over the course of a year, but the wreaths will stay up till next October.

Cempasúchiles, pata de león (lion's paw, as cockscomb is known in this part of Michoacán), freshly cut gladiola, nube (baby's breath) and just-in-season flor de las ánimas (flowers of the souls–wild orchids) from the mountains are the flowers most commonly used on Tzintzuntzan's graves.

My favorite ofrenda of 2009: a terrific full-size bicycle made of cempasúchiles, decorated with various fruits–including a pineapple on the seat! The flowers at the base of the grave marker are flores de las ánimas (wild orchids). This elaborate style of figural ofrenda is very unusual.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

29 de October de 2011