Category: Travel

The Milpa, Bastion of Biological and Cultural Diversity in Mexico

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYdUpQQ0_Rg&w=370&h=278]
"Las Cuatro Milpas", sung by Los Alegres de Terán. Youtube claims one person as the songwriter, although other sources differ and mention other writers. Whoever wrote it, the song is a classic of Mexico's early 20th century music repetoire.

You might well ask, "What exactly are the cuatro milpas, so sadly lamented in this old song?" The words cuatro milpas come close to translating to 'four cornfields'–but the milpa is far more than a cornfield, in Mexico's ancient agricultural practices. Why is the millenia-old milpa (it is first documented in botanical archeology from about 2400 years ago) still so critically important to Mexico's way of life?

The name milpa is derived from the Náhuatl word milli, sowed ground, combined with the náhuatl word pan, meaning on or in–combined, the literal meaning is "what is grown on the land". The plants grown in the milpa are the fundamental Mesoamerican triad of corn, beans, and squash. Today's milpa, which after thousands of years of cultivation consists of these same plants as well as others (including quelites and tomatoes), produces one and one-half times the yield of modern-day 'improved' corn which is planted in enormous fields without the nutrients that are fed into the soil by the companion plants of the ages-old milpa.

Maíz criollo–native corn–in a few of its more than 60 diverse forms and colors. More of the plant is used than just the elotes (ears of corn). The tassels are used to make tamales, corn silk is used as a medicine, the dried husks are used to wrap tamales, and in Michoacán, the leaves are used to wrap corundas. Dried corn stalks are stored year-round for use as forage for cattle and pigs.

The milpa, where food is grown not only for humans but also for animals, produces crops during the better part of the year. In the milpa, the first crops harvested are the quelites (tender wild greens). Later, the squash plants begin to flower–only the male flowers are harvested for cooking. The female flowers are left to develop squash. If the plants are calabacita (a zucchini-type squash), the first small calabacitas are consumed when they have barely begun to develop.

Drawing dated 1543 of phaseolus vulgaris (the common bean, which originated in Mexico). At about the time that young squash are harvested, beans begin to flower. The flowers are often eaten either in tamales or with the beans themselves. Around this time of year, corn stalks put out their first tender elotes (ears), which are eaten in an infinity of ways, either alone or in combination with fresh beans and wild greens.

In the milpa, corn grows tall, light-weight bean plants twist around the corn stalks for support, and squash plants grow close to the ground so the heavy fruit of the vine has a place to rest among the corn stalks. When you see a small 'corn field' near a house when you're out for a drive in the Mexican countryside, pull off the road and take a closer look. Watch for other crops among the corn. You're looking at a milpa.

Calabaza de castilla (Castilla squash) is one of several squash varieties that grow in the milpa. At the end of the growing season, large hard-shell squash like these are harvested and stored to be used for food throughout the season when the milpa lies fallow. In addition, beans are gathered and dried for food as well as for seed for planting during the following year. Other milpa-grown plants are harvested and stored for animal feed.

Offerings of corn in various forms, from the 16th century Códice Florentino by Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, the first ethnobiologist in the so-called New World. The 14-volume work, written in Náhuatl, describes every detail of the indigenous life found by the Spaniards.

Indigenous woman cooking beans. The curled symbols coming from her mouth are speech indicators; it's quite likely that she is pictured at prayer while placing the beans in her cooking pot. Códice Florentino.

Chile vendor, from the Códice Florentino.

Mural fragment, Hombre de Maíz (Corn Men), Templo Rojo Cacaxtla, Nativitas, Tlaxcala. The mural was painted sometime between 100 and 1100 AD. Corn is thought to be the origin of humankind, its sustenance, and its hope for the future. The image of humans born from corn persists up to the present in some places; in Chiapas in 2008, I saw modern clay sculptures of fetuses curled into corn husks.

Diego Rivera, 1929 portion of a mural depicting a milpa. In the Palacio Nacional, Mexico City.

So what? Why is the milpa so important in today's world of 'improved' crops, modern farming, and agro-industry? In brief, the milpa is the spot where Mexico's rich cultural and agricultural heritage and knowledge join to make use of nature during the entire cultivation cycle. The milpa alone has demonstrated its capacity to sustain the healthy and diverse nourishment of large populations, nourishment sustainable from the pre-Hispanic era to current times. The key word is sustainable: the milpa is the living and lasting foundation of Mexico's biodiversity, renewable with each year's crop cycle.

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

1 de September de 2012
Mesamérica 2012: Mexican Gastronomic Summit (Cumbre Gastronómica de México 2012) DAY FOUR
Chef José Ramón Castillo, premier chocolate maker and proprietor of the extraordinary chocolate shop and restaurant QueBo! in Mexico City's Centro Histórico, opened the talks for Mesamérica Day Four with a demonstration that left the entire audience wishing for just one of his gorgeous bonbons.

Chef José Ramón prepared a dish of modernized and deconstructed tacos al pastor: roasted and fire-grilled pork perched on a tostada ring, a side of grilled pineapple, and the traditional accompaniments (chile serrano, radishes, cilantro, and onion). The meat is topped with a warmed white chocolate bonbon filled with the gelatinized juices of the roasted pork. The detailed preparation and presentation made everyone's mouth water as the fragrances of this spectacular dish wafted through the auditorium.

The much-anticipated talk and presentation by chef Rick Bayless was absolutely worth the wait. Since opening Frontera, his first Chicago restaurant, Chef Rick has refined both his culinary style and his understanding of authenticity. His delineation (in Spanish) of thoughtful and thought-provoking ideas kept the crowd's attention to the end.

He initially outlined four specific challenges to the home cook or restaurant chef who wants to prepare "authentic" Mexican food.
- Outside Mexico, Mexican food is commonly understood to be 'fast food'. Other than typical antojitos (little whims, generally corn masa based) Mexican food eaten in Mexico is very slow food.
- Many of Mexico's fundamental ingredients are not available worldwide, although some (such as tomate verde (tomatillos) and masa de maíz (prepared corn dough) are accessible in parts of the United States.
- It is necessary to achieve the flavors of Mexican dishes and then balance them.
- The old concept of authenticity includes: (1) ingredients imported from Mexico; (2) old traditional recipes; and (3) no interference by the cook–in other words, no 'tweaking' the original recipes.
Let's take a look at the example of transformation that Chef Rick prepared at Mesamérica.

A traditional tlayuda oaxaqueña has a very large toasted corn base, similar to a tostada. The base is topped with frijolitos negros refritos (refried black beans) and lots of quesillo (Oaxaca cheese). The toppings of the tlayuda pictured above also include chorizo (spicy pork sausage, fried), sliced avocado, and crumbled queso fresco (a white cheese). Photo courtesy Nileguide.

Chef Rick then outlined his new–or perhaps better said, current–concept of authenticity.
- the dish uses seasonal ingredients from the cook's surroundings
- it expresses a deep understanding of culture, environment, or craft. It focuses on the delicious and seduces the diner
- the best authentic food always seduces
Chef Rick Bayless's re-defined concept of Oaxaca's signature tlayuda. He calls this "Tlayuda con Cuchara" (tlayuda you eat with a spoon).

Chef Rick then proceeded to demonstrate his expression of the typical Oaxacan tlayuda. While it contains ingredients that are similar to those we think of as traditional, it is served in a bowl and eaten with a spoon. Frankly, folks, Mexico Cooks! is not convinced. The flavor combination and complexity may be similar, but if you've been to Oaxaca and what you crave is a tlayuda, this isn't it.

Rick Bayless gave a tremendous presentation that left me and the rest of the audience–about 2,000 people strong–both impressed with his thought processes and re-thinking what our own concepts are. In June 2012, the Mexican government honored him with the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest award that Mexico can give to a foreigner. The award was given "for his important work in the promotion and dissemination of cultural expressions of our country, internationally recognized, as is the national cuisine in general and Mexican cuisine in particular." Congratulations, and so well deserved!

Chef Alejandro Ruiz explains a fine point of dinner preparation at his restaurant Casa Oaxaca, in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico. It was a delight to see and hear Chef Alejandro working on the Mesamérica stage. His talk focussed on clay and corn.

The setup for his demonstration involved hauling a Oaxacan hornilla (cookstove) all the way from Oaxaca. The hornilla is similar to this fogón–along with its built-in clay comal (griddle)–used in Michoacán.

While an assistant worked on making tortillas, Chef Alejandro prepared this salsa molcajeteajada (literally, sauce made in a molcajete).

One of the dishes that Chef Alejandro Ruiz prepared during his demonstration: mero (grouper), brushed with a sauce, wrapped in hoja santa (a subtle anise-flavored fresh leaf), then wrapped again in banana leaf, and finally wrapped in a thick 'tortilla' of clay and baked in the embers of the hornilla. The fish is presented to the diner still in its clay wrap, along with a stone. At table, use the stone to break open the clay wrap and release the fragrance and flavors of the fish. Gorgeous!

John Sconzo is an anesthesiologist by profession and a photographer by avocation. Photo courtesy Peter Merelis.

After years of Internet friendship–we travel in similar online food circles–I was happy to meet John Sconzo, a long-time food aficionado. I asked what he thought about Mesamérica. He said, "I came to Mesamérica because I like cultures that are different from mine, from the food to the art to the whole environment. Here, I heard so much optimism, felt so much energy. The chefs are at once localists and globalists, and no one idea prevails, unless it is to preserve and support traditional cuisine. This has definitely not been one-sided; everything from traditional preparation to the most modern cuisine has been represented. I loved it."

There was more, much, much more–too much to report, to tell you the truth. Among the talks I didn't mention here: biologists Edelmira Linares and Robert Bye, designer Héctor Esrawe, Chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, and Chef Oswaldo Olivia, all from Mexico City, and Chef Rodolfo Guzmán of Chile, all of whom knocked my socks off. I've left out the final presentation, given by Albert Adrià (brother of that other Adrià), who will soon be opening a restaurant in Mexico City. Honestly, the three and a half day conference, with a new and fascinating speaker every 30 minutes, left me fascinated but exhausted.

Onward to 2013: a partial lineup of the chefs already committed to participate next May at Mesamérica. Meantime, congratulations on the first Mesamérica to Enrique Olvera and his entire team!

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.
25 de August de 2012
Mesamérica 2012: Mexican Gastronomic Summit (Cumbre Gastronómica de México 2012) DAY THREE

Mesamérica 2012 Day Three began with chef Paulina Abascal's sweet demonstration of completely edible dessert flower pots filled with organic pansies and mint leaves. Above, the simple and attractive finished product. Chef Paulina is a household name in Mexico, in large part due to her television appearances as a pastry chef. Her recipes are frequently designed for and easily prepared by the home cook.

In an interesting juxtaposition of Day Three speakers, the talk given by world-reknowned pastry chef Rosio Sanchez of Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark) directly followed that of Paulina Abascal. Chicago native Chef Rosio (that is how she spells her name) is only 28 years old, but she has already been part of the restaurant team at Chicago's Alinea and then served as sous-pastry chef at WD-50 in New York. She started as head pastry chef at Chef René Redzepi's stellar restaurant Noma in 2009.

A brief explanatory digression: the San Pellegrino "World's 50 Best Restaurants" competition has named Noma the number one restaurant in the world in 2010, 2011, and 2012. The annual award is a compilation of the opinions of more than 800 international restaurant industry experts. What constitutes "best" is left to the judgment of these trusted and well-travelled gourmets. Noma interior, photo courtesy Tomislav Medak.

Gammel Dansk dessert of cucumber, celery, Gammel Dansk liquor, and white chocolate. Gammel Dansk is a bitters liquor and was originally created to become a competitor on the Danish market to other bitters such as Underberg and Fernet Branca. It is aged with 29 types of herbs, spices and even flowers. The herbs and spices include angelica, star anise, nutmeg, anise, ginger, laurel, gentian, Seville orange and cinnamon, and several others. The complete recipe is kept secret.

Chef Rosio talked eloquently about dessert as a desire rather than a necessity. She spoke about sugar itself as a mental stimulant, a treatment for abstinence, and as a pleasure. She reminded us that we remember our childhood dessert favorites as almost inevitably cake or ice cream, but that often as adults we often prefer fruit. Her philosophy and talent shone through her presentation and captivated both the sensory and intellectual sides of the audience.

Chefs Mikel Alonso, Bruno Oteiza, and Gerard Bellver of Restaurante Biko in Mexico City. Biko opened its doors in 2008 and is included in the 2012 San Pellegrino "World's 50 Best Restaurants" list at number 38. The restaurant continues to carry on its traditions: the value of the original product, technique, and their characteristic identity.

It was a pleasure to watch the Biko chefs create this beautiful dish, purely Mexican in concept and purely Biko in execution.

SWALLOW Magazine's October issue will feature Mexico City. Mexico Cooks! got to leaf through the mock-up copy you see on the big Mesamérica screen. If you live where you can buy a copy, run-do-not- walk to your newsstand as soon as the magazine hits the shelves. It is creative, innovative, clever, imaginative–in one word, brilliant.

James Casey, the SWALLOW founder and editor, publishes two issues per year of the magazine. Casey, born and raised in Hong Kong, really gets it about culinary life in the Distrito Federal, Mexico's enormous capital city. His talk and video presentation created a high energy atmosphere at Mesamérica–think a joyously screaming, whistling, cheering crowd of more than 2,000. Everything he said touched a happy nerve in the audience. All the photos he projected were of bars, taco stands, and iconic culinary relics of Mexico City. I can hardly wait to see the magazine again!

It's really hard for me to write about Rancho Gordo without tremendous pride. I've known its founder, Steve Sando, since his New World Specialty Food company was just a glimmer in his eye. Hearing him tell the story of his heirloom bean business at Mesamérica left me with a tear in my own eye and the pleasure of watching his welcome as a valuable member of the Mexican food world. His partnership with Xoxoc, his fair trade practices, and his enormous appreciation for all things Mexico spoke to the Mesamérica audience of his high integrity and deep commitment to the ideals the audience believes in: support for the Mexican farm worker and the land and preservation of Mexico's milennia-old foods.

Rancho Gordo products labelled for sale in Mexico. And on the right, see the stack of three coladeras de barro (clay colanders) from Xoxoc? The smallest one now graces the Mexico Cooks! kitchen.

Chef Mónica Patiño, proprietor of Mexico City restaurants La Taberna del León, Naos, and Delirio. Chef Mónica spoke about culinary responsibility to use seasonal products and to maintain what is Mexican in Mexico. She urged the student chefs in the audience to be wary of being crushed by globalization. Photo courtesy El Universal.

If you review the three Mexico Cooks! articles about Mesamérica, it's easy to see that there is a thread–a bright golden thread–running through the speakers' topics: preserve the past, educate in the present, innovate for the future.

Next week: Day Four of Mesamérica, last but definitely not least in this August four-part series.

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

18 de August de 2012
Mesamérica 2012: Mexican Gastronomic Summit (Cumbre Gastronómica de México 2012) DAY TWO
Chef Daniel Ovadía and two of his assistants from Restaurante Paxia in Mexico City, on stage at Day Two of Mesamérica. Like many of the new crop of notable chefs, Chef Daniel offered thoughts about using traditional Mexican ingredients in new ways.

Chef Daniel Ovadía described one of his new creations as a "Mexican surf and turf". It consists of Mexican-raised trout cooked in a coating of tortilla ash and plated with radishes shredded in the form of anguillas (eels), fresh setas (mushrooms), crystallized grapefruit peel, and native cilantro. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, 2012 may well be known as "the year of the ash". Other chefs at Mesamérica also featured ash-y dishes.

At the end of his presentation, Chef Daniel prepared this dish while a long poem was read. Titled "Todos Queremos un México Mejor" ('Everyone Wants a Better Mexico'), the work is a compilation of answers received from the Paxia staff when asked, "What do you want for Mexico's future?" Here are just a few lines:
- Quiero un MEXICO libre de pensamiento, libres para decidir y actuar, para decir, sin ofender ni afectar a terceros. (I want a MEXICO with freedom to think, where we are free to decide and act–that is to say, without offending or affecting others.)
- Es un trabajo de todos y no solo de gobierno, desafortunadamente el Mexicano es el que tiene
  que cambiar, el Mexicano es el que tiene que creer, que querer, no basta ni bastará jamás con
  solo pedirlo, soñarlo, imaginarlo o exigirlo a nuestros gobernantes, es una cuestión de credibilidad y lucha de todos, solo cambiando nuestra mentalidad a ser mejores Mexicanos
  y mejores seres humanos lograremos el cambio. (It's everyone's job, not just the government's, unfortunately we Mexicans are the ones who have to change, we Mexicans are the ones who have to believe, to want. It's not enough nor will it ever be enough simply to ask, to dream, to imagine, or to insist on things from our government. It's a question of credibility and it's everyone's battle, by only changing our mentality to be better Mexicans and better human beings will we be able to create the change.)
- Queremos un MÉXICO que tenga gente orgullosa de ser mexicana, no porque deba ser así, sino porque seamos realmente admirables. Que la gente de otros países se alegre porque llegamos
  los mexicanos, a visitar o a trabajar. (We want a MEXICO that has people who are proud of being Mexican–not because they should be, but because we are truly admirable. May people from other countries be overjoyed because we Mexicans are arriving on their shores, either to visit or to work.)
The dish that Chef Daniel prepared is symbolic of Mexico's current troubles (the red spilling down the edge of the plate). Each of the other ingredients is also symbolic of the hopes of those who shared their hopes for Mexico's future. The dish is bathed in the celebratory white mole that is usually served at fiestas.

Wild mushroom expert Connie Green from Napa, California went foraging for Mexican mushroom samples at Mexico City's Mercado San Juan, where seasonal wild mushrooms are always available. Central Mexico is currently in its rainy season; during this time of year, many wild mushrooms are plentiful. Ms. Green was thrilled with what she found here. She pointed out that there are over 3,400 Mexican names for varieties of wild mushrooms, and she was pleased to point out that the chanterelle mushrooms she found here are better than the variety available in Europe.

Among other mushroom varieties at Mercado San Juan, Ms. Green was impressed to find fresh morillas (morelles) from Michoacán. Ms. Green also mentioned that the amanita cesaria, one of the great mushrooms of the world, is common in Mexico but rare in Europe. She also said that the tricholoma matsutake, the second most valuable mushroom in the world, is grown in Oaxaca but exported to Japan, where it is prized for its for its distinct spicy-aromatic odor.

Chef Guillermo González Beristáin (Restaurante Pangea, Monterrey) gave a fascinating explanation of the long-ago origins of some common foods–goat, lamb, and wheat flour tortillas–in his city in far-northern Mexico. Early Jewish settlers brought these foods, common to their native lands, to Mexico with them. It was easy to understand the reason for goat and lamb, but wheat flour tortillas? Chef Guillermo said that this new-world bread was reminiscent of old-world pita. He also mentioned that in households with middle-Eastern origins, three trees are traditionally planted in the family garden: a fig tree (representing the family), a pomegranate tree (representing wisdom), and a lemon tree (representing resignation). He was obviously moved as he told the audience that he now has one of each tree in his own Monterrey garden.

Chef Guillermo also showed a video of himself and several companions truffle-hunting just outside Monterrey. Because the climate is similar to that of the south of France, five varieties of truffles grow there, in symbiosis with local oak trees. Only one variety is edible. He mentioned that the gentleman who told him about local Monterrey truffles had never seen or tasted a European truffle until Chef Guillermo brought him one from France.

Diana Kennedy greets Mark Miller shortly before her Mesamérica talk. Mrs. Kennedy, British author of nine important books recounting the history and preparation of traditional Mexican dishes, is one of the most knowledgeable food historians in Mexico.

Mrs. Kennedy, a well-recognized and important pillar in the world of Mexican food, spoke as she often does: frankly and directly to the point. Her point at Mesamérica was, as she said, to speak the uncomfortable truth. She said, "Mexican cuisine worries me, above all the ingredients that are being used. It's a great scandal that so-called Mexican products are being imported from other countries." She specifically mentioned chile guajillo and chile de árbol, both of which are being imported to Mexico from China, and flor de jamaica (hibiscus flowers, commonly used for agua fresca and other applications), which are being imported from the Sudan. Mrs. Kennedy is outraged that buying foreign products undercuts the livelihood of Mexican producers and particularly the campesinos (field workers). She ardently urged that foreign chiles and jamaica be boycotted in favor of their Mexican-grown counterparts. Although she smiled as she shook her fist, it is obvious that Mrs. Kennedy is both passionate and angry–and rightly so–about any foreign takeovers of Mexico's ingredients.

Mark Miller, Diana Kennedy, Steve Sando, and Mexico Cooks! at Mesamérica. Photo courtesy John Sconzo, LLC.

Next week: Day Three of Mesamérica. Be there or be square–all your favorite chefs give it their all.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.
11 de August de 2012
Mesamérica 2012: Mexican Gastronomic Summit (Cumbre Gastronómica de México 2012) DAY ONE

Chef Enrique Olvera of highly acclaimed Restaurante Pujol in Mexico City is the founder and guiding light of Mesamérica. Photo courtesy Adam Goldberg.

Mesamérica, highly touted as the Mexican culinary event of the year, opened on July 24 with a gala inaugural dinner at Mexico City's St. Regis Hotel. Forty or so rock-star chefs and other luminaries of the international gastronomic world converged on the city for five days of teaching conferences,food, drink, celebration, and general merry-making.

Chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita of restaurants Azul/Condesa and Azul/Histórico gave a few opening remarks on July 25.

Chef Alicia Gironella d'Angeli, who together with her husband Giorgio d'Angeli founded Restaurante El Tajín in Mexico City as well as the Slow Food movement in Mexico, spoke from her long perspective as grande dame of Mexico's culinary world during Mesamérica's inauguration. In her talk, she quipped that she was speaking from her juventud acumulada–her accumulated youth.

The Mesamérica 2012 program included chefs from countries as diverse as England, Denmark, Chile, Mexico, and the United States. Names as well-known in Mexico as Diana Kennedy, Javier Plascencia, Mikel Alonso, and Mónica Patiño were among those who gave talks to the huge crowds–as many as 2,000 in attendance for each of two daily sessions. The names of James Casey (editor of SWALLOW magazine), Lars Williams (Nordic Food Labs, Copenhagen), and The Young Turks (Great Britain), which would previously have elicited a "Who?" from me and most of the attending throngs were common currency by the end of the conference.

Chef Javier Plascencia of Restaurante Misión 19, Baja California, along with (below)

Chef Jair Téllez from Restaurante Laja of Baja California and Restaurante MeroToro of Mexico City shared the podium on opening day and together spoke eloquently about the need to invent tradition in Baja California. Chef Javier said, "I am very much inspired by street food, and Tijuana has become a culinary destination. We are living our dream."

ProEpta Mexican baking and tableware shared commercial space with several other culinary arts businesses.

Lars Williams, of Copenhagen's Nordic Food Lab, asked conference assistants to pass around pinches and liquid samples of flavors concocted of insect parts and essences. During his talk, he said that the basic tenet of the Food Lab is–and I quote–"Trying to get gringos to eat bugs". The tiny vial in the photo contains a liquid made from fermented grasshoppers. It smelled and tasted like soy sauce.

Next week, Mexico Cooks! will highlight chefs and other culinary professionals from Mesamérica Day Two. Stay tuned!

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

4 de August de 2012
Delicias de Noche en Pátzcuaro: Enchiladas Placeras (Night Pleasures in Pátzcuaro: Plaza-Style Enchiladas)
Over the course of nearly 30 years, Mexico Cooks! has visited Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, one of the most beautiful small colonial cities of Mexico, more times than we can count. Every visit is memorable for 16th and 17th Century architecture, fantastic decorative arts, and food. Food! The regional Michoacán kitchen is incomparably rich and delicious.

Super Pollo Emilio has been famous for 36 years for enchiladas placeras: plaza-style enchiladas, the only item on the menu. The cooks prepare approximately 400 orders of enchiladas every night.

Great quantities of enormous pechugas (chicken breast halves, each large enough to satisfy two people) and piernas (leg/thigh quarters) are simmered early in the day until they're just done. A bit later, preparation continues with vats of tender potatoes and fresh carrots.

The cook fans four tortillas at a time between his fingers and dips them into this enormous pot of house- made salsa para enchiladas (enchilada sauce). The recipe? Mexico Cooks! has wheedled and whined, but Super Pollo Emilio won't give it up.

The cook spreads the salsa-doused tortillas evenly into the sizzling grease in the industrial-strength comal (griddle), flipping them rapidly from one side to the other. The tortillas need to be cooked till they are hot and soft, but not crisp.

He gives each tortilla a dollop of freshly mashed potato. The tortillas are then folded in half: voilá, enchiladas ready for your platter. Each order contains eight enchiladas as well as–well, we'll see in a minute.

While we waited for our supper, we were treated to a serenata (serenade) sung by strolling local musicians. We were quite taken with the multi-colored strings of this big bass fiddle.

Our order. The platter, which looks fairly small in the photo, measures approximately 16 inches from side to side. The two forks are ordinary-size table forks. Each platter contains:
- eight potato-filled enchiladas
- freshly sautéed potatoes and carrots, enough for two or more people
- the amount and kind of chicken you prefer–we normally order a breast portion, which was more than enough for the two of us
- a sprinkle of thinly sliced onion
- large shreds of queso Oaxaca (Oaxaca cheese)
- shredded fresh cabbage
- crumbled queso fresco (fresh farmer-style cheese)
- fresh salsa roja (red sauce, different from the enchilada sauce)
- a base of fresh romaine lettuce
- chile perón en escabeche (locally grown and pickled yellow chile: HOT), as much as you want
Mexico Cooks! has never seen one person finish an entire platter of enchiladas placeras as prepared by Super Pollo Emilio. We were hard pressed, but in the interest of pure research we managed to eat most of this order. We accompanied the order with a glass of agua fresca de jamaica and a bottle of LIFT, an apple soda. Our total bill was 110 pesos.

Super Pollo Emilio sets up every evening except Tuesdays, just around dusk on Pátzcuaro's Plaza Gertrudis Bocanegra (the plaza chica). It's the booth closest to the portal (covered walkway) on the market side of the square. The booth is open till the food runs out.

If you're still hungry after your platter of enchiladas is gone, there are buñuelos for dessert. You can order a buñuelo broken and softened in a bowl of syrup or still-crispy and dusted with sugar.

Our waiter Jesús and his sweet daughter Paola, who was helping take soft drink orders. Jesús has been a fixture at Super Pollo Emilio since long before his daughter was born.

When you're visiting Pátzcuaro, don't miss the enchiladas placeras at Super Pollo Emilio. If nothing else about this marvelous city brings you back again and again, you'll be pulled in by these addictive enchiladas, eaten on a chilly night under the stars, just by the market-side portales.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.
28 de July de 2012
And the Band Played On…Mexico and Its Music

Trio Los Panchos, from the 1950s. They're still playing today (with new members, some related to members of the original trio) and everyone of every age in Mexico knows all the words to all the songs they've sung since their beginning. You can hear them here: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD-Nre__RzY&w=420&h=315]

A few nights ago some friends and I were having dinner at a local restaurant. A wonderful trio (lead guitar, second guitar, and bass) played a broad selection of Mexico's favorite tunes while we enjoyed our food and conversation. From the table behind us, a woman's voice rang out in English, "Boy, these mariachis are really good."

Her comment, one I've heard over and over again, made me think about the many varieties of Mexican music. Not all Mexican music is mariachi, although many people assume that it is.

It's just as incorrect to classify all Mexican music as mariachi as it is to classify all music from the United States as jazz. Mariachi has its traditions, its place, and its beauties, but there are many other styles of Mexican music to enjoy.

Ranchera, norteña, trio, bolero, banda, huasteco, huapango, trova, danzón, vals, cumbia, jarocho, salsa, son–??the list could go on and on. While many styles of music are featured in specific areas, others, like norteña, banda, ranchera, and bolero, are heard everywhere in Mexico. Let's take a look at just a few of the most popular styles of music heard in present-day Mexico.

Norteña
Música norteña (northern music) will set your feet a-tapping and will remind you of a jolly polka. Norteña had its beginnings along the Texas-Mexico border. It owes its unique quality to the instrument at its heart, the accordion. The accordion was introduced into either far southeastern Texas or the far north of Mexico by immigrants from Germany, Czechoslovakia, or Poland. No one knows for sure who brought the accordion, but by the 1950s this rollicking music had become one of the far and away favorite music styles of Mexico.

A norteña group of musicians playing a set of trap drums, a stand-up bass, and the accordion produces an instantly recognizable and completely infectious sound. The songs have a clean, spare accordion treble and a staccato effect from the drum, while the bass pounds out the deep bottom line of the music.

Norteña is popular everywhere in Mexico. In many cities and towns, conjuntos norteños (bands) often play as itinerant musicians. These are the musicians who are often hired to play serenades in the wee hours of Mother's Day morning, who play under the window of a romantic young man's girl friend while she peeps from behind the curtain, and who wander through restaurantes campestres (country-style restaurants) all over Mexico to play a song or two for hire at your table.

The undisputed king of música norteña is Ramón Ayala. Over the past 30 years he has recorded an amazing 75 albums. His current group, Los Bravos del Norte, is heard everywhere, ??on every radio station and every jukebox. The group is widely imitated but never superseded. Ayala turns out well-crafted and balanced music, featuring lyrics with universally understood human themes. The songs, like the majority of norteñas, are about tragedy, loneliness, broken relationships, almost unbearable longing and pain, and about experiencing love in all its complicated nuances. You can listen here to Ramón Ayala y Sus Bravos del Norte:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJkAYYQNgNE&w=350&h=263]

Banda de Viento and Banda
Banda de viento and banda are similar musical styles: both have a military legacy. Each has moved in its own direction to provide different types of entertainment.

In Zacatecas, the state banda de viento plays concerts day and night.

Banda de viento (wind band, or brass band) originated in Mexico in the middle 1800s during the reign of Emperor Maximilian and Empress Carlota. Later, Presidents Benito Juárez and Porfirio Díaz commissioned the creation of brass bands in their home state, Oaxaca, in imitation of the brass bands that entertained at the Emperor's court.

The huge upsurge of popularity of brass bands in Mexico came in the early 20th Century. After the Mexican revolution, local authorities formed "Sunday bands" made up of military musicians who played in municipalities' plaza bandstands all over Mexico.

The Banda del Estado de Zacatecas (Zacatecas State Band) plays: Marcha de Zacatecas (Zacatecas March)

There are regional differences in banda de viento style, but you can still take a Sunday stroll around many rural Mexican plazas as the tuba oompahs the bass part, the trumpets blare, squeaky clarinets take the lead, and the tamborazo (percussion) keeps the beat. The Sunday municipal band concert no longer exists in some large cities (although you can hear weekly concerts in both Guadalajara and Zapopan), but something new has taken its place: banda.

Banda music, which exploded onto the Mexican music scene in the 1990s, is a direct outgrowth of the municipal bands of Mexico. Banda is one of the most popular styles of dance music among Mexican young people. In small towns, we're often treated to a banda group playing for a weekend dance on the plaza or at a salón de eventos (events pavilion) in the center of the village. The music is inevitably loud, with a strong bass beat. You'll hear any number of rhythms, from traditional to those taken from foreign music. It's almost rock and roll. It's almost–??well, it's almost a lot of styles, but it's pure banda.

Few expatriates go to these dances and that's a shame, because it's great fun to go and watch the kids dance. You might want to take earplugs; the banks of speakers can be enormous and powerful.

The dancing will amaze you. Children, teenagers, and adults of all ages dance in styles ranging from old fuddy-duddy to la quebradita. La quebradita is a semi-scandalous style of dance which involves the man wrapping his arms completely around the woman while he puts his right leg between her two as they alternate feet and twirl around the dance floor. Complete with lots of dipping and other strenuous moves, la quebradita is a dance that's at once athletic and extremely sexual.

Bolero
In the United States and Canada, it's very common for those of us who are older to swoon over what we know as the 'standards'. Deep Purple, Red Sails in the Sunset, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, and almost anything by Ol' Blue Eyes can take us right back to our youthful romances. Most of us can dance and sing along with every note and word.

Here in Mexico, it's the same for folks of every age. The romantic songs from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s are known as boleros. The theme of the bolero is love–??happy love, unhappy love, unrequited love, indifference, ??but always love. I think just about everyone has heard the classic Bésame Mucho, a bolero written by Guadalajara native Consuelo Velásquez. This timeless favorite has been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and The Beatles, among countless other interpreters of romance.

Here's Luis Miguel, one of Mexico's modern interpreters of bolero, singing Sabor a Mi: Luis Miguel

Armando Manzanero, born in 1935 in Mérida, Mexico, is one of the most famous writers of bolero. His more than 400 songs have been translated into numerous languages. More than 50 of his songs have gained international recognition. Remember Perry Como singing It's Impossible? The original song ??by Armando Manzanero ??is called Somos Novios.

Crowds memorialize Pedro Infante, one of Mexico's greatest stars.

Agustín Lara was another of Mexico's prolific songwriters. Before Lara died in 1973, he wrote more than 700 romantic songs. Some of those were translated into English and sung by North of the Border favorites Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and yes, even Elvis Presley. The most famous of his songs to be translated into English included You Belong to My Heart (originally Solamente Una Vez), Be Mine Tonight (originally Noche de Ronda), and The Nearness of You.

Ranchera
The dramatic ranchera (country music), which emerged during the Mexican Revolution, is considered by many to be the country's quintessential popular music genre. Sung to different beats, including the waltz and the bolero, its lyrics traditionally celebrate rural life, talk about unrequited love and tell of the struggles of Mexico's Everyman.

Ana Gabriel is today's reigning queen of música ranchera. Listen to her sing one of her all-time great songs, Te Amo:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPpMFBrZrpU&w=560&h=315]

Ranchera finds its inspiration in the traditional music that accompanies folkloric dancing in Mexico. Its form is romantic and its lyrics almost always tell a story, the kind of story we're used to in old-time country music in the United States: she stole my heart, she stole my truck, I wish I'd never met her, but I sure do love that gal. Pedro Infante, Mexico's most prolific male film star, is strongly associated with the ranchera style of Mexican music. One of the original singing cowboys, Infante's films continue to be re-issued both on tape and on DVD and his popularity in Mexico is as strong as it was in his heyday, the 1940s. Infante, who died in an airplane accident in 1957 when he was not quite forty, continues to be revered and is an enormous influence on Mexican popular culture.

Ranchera continues to be an overwhelmingly emotional favorite today; at any concert, most fans are able to sing along with every song. This marvelous music is truly the representation of the soul of Mexico, the symbol of a nation.

Ana Gabriel is the queen, but Vicente Fernández is the king of ranchera. Listen to him sing Volver, one of his classics.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugNQ5uIN09Q&w=350&h=315]

Vicente Fernández, whose ranch, huge restaurant, and large charro-goods store are located between the Guadalajara airport and Lake Chapala, is the current reigning king of ranchera–??indeed, he is considered to be the King of Mexico.

Mariachi
Mariachi really is the music that most folks think of when they think of Mexico's music. Mariachi originated here, it's most famous here, and it's most loved here. The love of mariachi has spread all over the world as non-Mexicans hear its joyous (and sometimes tragic) sounds. At this year's Encuentro Internacional del Mariachi (International Mariachi Festival) in Guadalajara, mariachis from France, Czechoslovakia, Canada, Switzerland and the United States (among others) played along with their Mexican counterparts.

In the complete mariachi group today there are six to eight violins, two or three trumpets and a guitar, all standard European instruments. There is also a higher-pitched, round-backed guitar called the vihuela, which, when strummed in the traditional manner gives the mariachi its typical rhythmic vitality. You'll also see a deep-voiced guitar called the guitarrón which serves as the bass of the ensemble. Sometimes you'll see a Mexican folk harp, which usually doubles the base line but also ornaments the melody. While these three instruments have European origins, in their present form they are strictly Mexican.

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán is the most famous mariachi in the world. Every year in Guadalajara they honor the city with their presence at the Encuentro Internacional de Mariachi. If you'll be in Guadalajara between late August and early September, plan to attend one of the nightly Galas de Mariachi at the Teatro Degollado. It's an unforgettable experience.

The combined sound of these instruments makes the music unique. Like the serape (a type of long, brightly striped shawl worn mainly by Mexican men) in which widely contrasting colors are woven side by side–??green and orange, red, yellow and blue–the mariachi use sharply contrasting sounds: the sweet sounds of the violins against the brilliance of the trumpets, and the deep sound of the guitarrón against the crisp, high voice of the vihuela; and the frequent shifting between syncopation and on-beat rhythm. The resulting sound is the heart and soul of Mexico.

Next time you go to your local music store, look on the racks of CDs for some of the artists and styles of Mexican music I've mentioned. You may be quite surprised to see how popular the different styles are in the United States and Canada. As the population of countries North of the Border becomes more Mexican, the many sounds of Mexican music follow the fans. Next thing you know, you'll be dancing la quebradita.

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

21 de July de 2012
Pulque: Pre-Hispanic Drink, Gift of the Gods from the Maguey Cactus

The agave atrovirens cactus. This enormous blue-gray plant, native to the ancient land which became Mexico, continues to provide us with pulque (POOL-keh), a naturally fermented alcoholic beverage. The maguey, with pencas (thick, succulent leaves) which can grow to a height of seven to eight feet, matures in ten to twelve years. At maturity, the plant can begin to produce liquor.

Pulque, native to Mexico, is suddenly all the rage in countries far from its origin. Folks who have never seen a maguey cactus 'on the hoof' argue the relative merits of natural versus flavored pulques, canned versus straight from the barrel, and so forth. Mayahuel, the goddess of the maguey, is laughing up her sleeve at this current rash of pulque aficionados: pulque has been well-loved in what is now Mexico for longer than humankind can remember.

Legend has it that a thousand years ago and more, Sr. Tlacuache (Mr. Opossum) scraped his sharp claws through the heart of the maguey and slurped down the world's first taste of pulque–and then another, and another, until he had a snoot full. His meandering drunken ramble allegedly traced the path of Mexico's rivers.

A drawing from the Codice Borbónico (1530s Spanish calendar and outline of life in the New World) shows Mayahuel, goddess of the maguey, with a mature cactus and a pot of fermented pulque. The first liquid that pours into the heart of the maguey is called aguamiel (literally, honey water); legend says that aguamiel is Mayahuel's blood.

Aguamiel actually comes from the pencas (leaves) of the cactus. In order to start the flow of liquid into the heart of the plant, the yema (yolk) of the plant is removed from the heart and the heart's walls, connected to the leaves, are scraped until only a cavity remains. Within a few days, the aguamiel begins to flow into the cavity in the heart of the plant. The flow of aguamiel can last anywhere from three to six months. Today, the men who work the maguey to produce pulque are still called tlaquicheros. The word is derived from the same Nahuatl origin as the name for the original tlaquichero: Sr. Tlacuache, Mr. Opossum.

An early tlaquichero removes aguamiel from the heart of the maguey by sucking it out with a long gourd. Today, workers use a steel scoop to remove up to six liters of aguamiel per day from a single plant. Aguamiel is not an alcoholic beverage. Rather, it is a soft drink, sweet, transparent, and refreshing. Once it ferments, however, it becomes the alcoholic drink pulque, also known as octli.

The fermentation of pulque can start in the plant itself. Aguamiel, left in the plant's heart to 'ripen' for a few days, begins to ferment. For the commercial production which began in the 19th century, tlaquicheros remove aguamiel from the maguey and transfer it to huge steel tanks, where it ferments.

The heart of the maguey, full of aguamiel. The tool balanced in the liquid is the same type gourd that is pictured in the early drawing seen above. Between extractions of aguamiel, the leaves of the maguey are folded over the cavity where the liquid collects to prevent insects and plant debris from falling into the heart.

Mexican photographic postcard dating to the 1940s or 1950s. The women and children pose in front of huge maguey plants.

By the end of the 19th century, pulque was enormously popular among Mexico's very rich and very poor. Weary travelers in the early 20th century could find stands selling pulque–just for a pickmeup–alongside rural byways. Travelers riding Mexico's railroads bought pulque at booths along the tracks. Pulquerías (bars specializing in pulque) were in every town, however small or large. In Puebla and Mexico City, legendary pulquerías abounded.

Italian expatriate Tina Modotti, a member of the Diego Rivera/Frida Kahlo artists' circle, photographed Mexico City's pulquería La Palanca in 1926.

This common image hung in pulquerías all over Mexico. Clients could order the amount of pulque they wanted according to the drawings–and be reminded of what they had ordered when the pulque had laid them low. Image courtesy of La Voz de Michoacán.

In the foreground are the actual pitchers and glasses used in Mexico's pulquerías. Compare them with the vessels in the drawing. Image courtesy of Museo del Arte Popular (DF).

Pulque lovers spent long evenings in their favorite pulquerías in an alcoholic haze of music, dancing, laughter and delight. Far less expensive than other hard liquors, pulque carries with it the romance of ancient legend, the tradition of a nation, and the approbation of the gods.

Edward Weston, American photographer, immortalized Mexico City's pulquería El Charrito, also in 1926.

Natural pulque is a pale white, semi-viscous, liquid with a slick, thick feel in the mouth; many people are put off by that feel, as well as by its slightly sour taste. Even for those who dislike natural pulque, another kind of pulque–called curado (in this instance, flavored)–is delicious. Natural pulque, combined with blended fresh fruit, vegetables, or ground nuts, becomes a completely different drink. Bananas, guavas, strawberries, and the tuna (fruit of the nopal cactus) are particular favorites.

Feria de Pulque (Pulque Fair) in the State of Mexico. Each of the jars holds pulque curado, each flavored with a different fresh fruit, vegetable, or type of nut.

Mexico Cooks! first tasted pulque about 30 years ago, in Huixquilucan, in the State of Mexico. Huixquilucan, known to its inhabitants as Huixqui (pronounced whiskey), used to be a small town, and Mexican friends took me to its small-town fair where home-made pulque was for sale in what seemed like every booth offering food and drink. "Try it, you'll like it a lot!" my friends giggled. "Just a little taste! C'mon!" I was nervous: I'd heard about pulque and its slippery slimy-ness and its inebriating qualities. Finally we stood in front of a booth offering pulque curado con fresas: pulque flavored with fresh strawberries. "Okay, okay, I can try this." And I liked it! The first small cupful was a delicious, refreshing, slightly bubbly surprise. The second small cupful went down even more easily than the first. And then–well, let it be said that I had to sit down on the sidewalk for a bit. I truly understood about pulque.

Try it, you'll like it a lot…c'mon, just a little taste!

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

14 de July de 2012
Crafts, Food, and Mayan Culture in Zinacantán, Chiapas: Part Three

If you have not yet read Parts One and Two of Mexico Cooks! visit to San Lorenzo Zinacantán, Chiapas, please see the articles dated June 23 and June 30, 2012.

Restaurant J'Totik Lol, San Lorenzo Zinacantán, Chiapas

As we walked through the Templo San Lorenzo atrium to the main streets of Zinacantán, our stomachs grumbling for food, we noticed that the first three cocinas económicas (cheap-eats restaurants) were closed. At three o'clock in the afternoon–time for the main meal of the day–we couldn't understand what was (or better said, what wasn't) cooking. Then light dawned: it was a Lenten Friday. In Mexico, many restaurants serving primarily meat or chicken close on Fridays in Lent. It appeared that none of the restaurants around the plaza chose to offer a menú cuaresmeño (Lenten menu). Even though we were considerably past ready for lunch, we weren't ready to leave Zinacantán and head back to San Cristóbal de las Casas to find food. What to do!

"Look!" My partner pointed to a sign: Centro de Artesanía y Restaurantes. An arrow directed us to a short flight of steps carved into the hillside. We crossed our fingers and started up. At the top of the steps was Restaurant J'Totik Lol, jam-packed with San Cristóbal secundaria (middle school) kids on a field trip. We felt sure that unless the ravening teenage hordes had eaten all that there was to be had, we would soon have lunch.

The school group filled every table inside the restaurant and overflowed into the yard. We settled ourselves outside at the single remaining table and gratefully received menus from the wait staff. Would it be the menú del día or something a la carta? Our choice is usually the menú, and today was no exception. The menú at a home-style restaurant in Mexico is nearly always a treat. It normally includes a choice of two or three sopas aguadas (soups), choice of sopa seca (rice or pasta), choice of several guisados (main dishes), frijoles, tortillas, and dessert. Judy picked asado de puerco estilo chiapaneco as her main course and, at the waitress's recommendation, I asked for the menú con carne asada.

Restaurant J'Totik Lol interior with clay and brick oven.

The asado de puerco estilo chiapaneco was definitely the pick of the day. Fork-tender chunks of pork covered with a deep-brown sauce redolent of chiles filled Judy's plate, the thick sauce running gently into her rice. She tasted it and I knew from the ecstatic look on her face that I wasn't going to finagle more than a nibble. Yes, my carne asada was delicious. But after I snagged a shred of her pork and a bit of sauce, it was obvious that she had bet on the winner.

Both of us ate fresh tortilla after fresh tortilla as we enjoyed our meal. We were joined at table by a middle-size dog which had apparently recently delivered a litter of pups. Her beguilingly silent pleas for a snack resulted in a bone or two from Judy's asado and the crusty ends of my carne asada.

We all ate well. You will, too.

Asado de Puerco Estilo Chiapaneco

Ingredients
1/2 kilo (1 pound) fresh pork                   1 onion, quartered
1 kilo (2.2 pounds) small pork ribs          1 corn tortilla
2 cloves garlic                                        Thyme to taste
2 chiles cascabel                                     Oregano to taste
2 chiles pasilla                                        Salt and pepper to taste
1 large or two small tomatillos                Oil

Procedure
Cut the meat into 2" cubes. Cut the ribs into 2" sections. Salt and pepper well. Using a frying pan, sauté in hot oil until well-browned, adding the quartered onion to the meat. Reserve the meat and onion in the frying pan.

In another pan, carefully toast the garlic, the chiles cascabel and pasilla. Don't let them become too dark or they will be bitter. Reserve the mix in a separate bowl. In the same frying pan, sauté the corn tortilla. When all the ingredients are well-toasted, put them in the blender along with the raw tomatillos, add a bit of water, and blend until the ingredients are well blended. Add the blended mixture to the meat in its frying pan. Add the thyme and oregano to taste.

Allow to cook over a very low flame for about an hour, adding water little by little as needed so that the meat and sauce do not dry out.

Serves 4-6, accompanied by arroz a la mexicana (Mexican-style rice), frijolitos negros (black beans), and plenty of freshly made hot tortillas.

Provecho!

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

Mexico Cooks! is traveling. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming in mid-July.

7 de July de 2012
Crafts, Food and Mayan Culture in Zinacantán, Chiapas: Part Two

If you have not yet read Part One of Mexico Cooks! visit to San Lorenzo Zinacantán, Chiapas, please see the article dated June 23, 2012. This three-part series was originally published during March 2008.

One of several Centros de Artesanía (craft stores) in the town of San Lorenzo Zinacantán, Chiapas.

As we drove into Zinacantán, we noticed many large invernaderos (greenhouses) here and there on the mountain slopes. In addition to the work of artesanía (arts and crafts), there is a large flower-growing industry in the town. Roses, daisies, chrysanthemums and other flowers grow profusely in the greenhouses that dot the hillsides around this tiny town in a valley. The flowers are produced for use in the town as well as for export.

When Mexico Cooks! arrived in the town center, the parish church bells were ringing over and over again–Clang! Ca-CLANG! Clang! Clang! Ca-clang!–in a pattern that was neither the usual call to Mass nor the clamor (the mournful ring that indicates a parishioner has died). Although the Centros de Artesanía (crafts centers) beckoned and we had really come to shop, we decided to answer the call of the bells and visit the church first. Many villagers crowded the entryway, watching one of the most beautiful processions I've seen in Mexico. No photographs are permitted in either the church atrium or the church itself, and I wished so deeply that I had the talent to draw what we were watching.

Young men wearing white cotton shorts embroidered along the hems, thickly furry woven wool cotones, beribboned pañuelos and straw hats processed from a shadowy side chapel carrying huge wicker baskets filled to overflowing with every color rose petal. The procession came slowly, these young zinacantecos scattering thousands and thousands of petals throughout the candlelit main part of the church. The wooden floor disappeared under a pink, yellow, red, and white carpet. Other men wearing ritual black or white woolen cotones followed, stepping reverently on the rose petals, releasing their scent into the air along with the scent of copal burning in the clay incensarios (incense burners) they waved high above their heads.

Then followed twelve highly honored town elders dressed in even more elaborate ritual clothing bearing three life-size statues on their shoulders. The statues, each dressed in the finest ropa típica zinacanteca, represented the Virgin Mary, Jesus, and San Lorenzo, the patron of Zinacantán. The tremendous statues processed, crowned with gold and surrounded by candles and artfully arranged flowers of every description. The three saints gently tipped this way and that on the shoulders of their bearers as they moved through the nave of the church.

The first young men of the procession rained thousands more rose petals on the statues as they wended their way slowly through the small church and back into the half-light of the side chapel, where the saints were situated in places of honor in front of the communion rail and altar.

This image, taken inside Templo Santo Domingo in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, shows candles similar to those lit before the saints in Templo San Lorenzo, Zinacantán.

Beneath swooping banners, strings of brightly colored metal ornaments, and tired-out balloons from prior fiestas, church elders lit hundreds of candles to honor the three saints. Men clad in garments resembling ribbon-festooned woolly black or white sheep hurried back and forth placing candles in large stands, stopping to kneel and pray aloud in Tzotzil. Meantime, women elders clad in brilliant blue and teal embroidered chales (shawls) crouched on the church floor. Ritual white cotton rebozos covered their heads and faces, leaving only their black eyes visible, watching the men. The men lit candles and more candles. Young boys left greenery around the statues. In the dimness, a solemn father pinched his laughing son's ear to remind him to respect the ceremony and the saints.

When we could tell that the ceremony was drawing to a close, I asked one of the elders to tell me its significance. "This is the first Friday of Lent," he replied. "We'll have this procession the first Friday of every month from now until All Saints Day in November." He smiled, bowed briefly, and moved away from me. My partner and I walked slowly out of the church and back into the brilliant Zinacantán afternoon light. We felt that we had been centuries and huge distances away from this millennium. And of course, after that much mystical time and space travel, we were starving. Lunch! Where would we have lunch?

View of Zinacantán from the floor of the valley, 8500 feet above sea level.

Next week, read Part Three as Mexico Cooks! continues its visit to San Lorenzo Zinacantán, Chiapas.

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

Mexico Cooks! is traveling. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming in mid-July.

30 de June de 2012