mexican reginal cuisine9409 (1)

8/22/2019 mexican reginal cuisine9409 (1)

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* Director o the Daniel Rubn de la Borbolla Documentation andInormation Center, [email protected].

Photos by Adalberto Ros Szalay and Adalberto Ros Lanz.

Many people ask why, beyond the ritual or estive

aspects o certain customs, a historian or an an-

thropologist would be interested in the way ood

is prepared and served. This interest is born o a broader de-

inition o what culture is and how dierent peoples have dealt

with the eects o globalization. The denition includes the

way in which inhabitants in a given region resolve their day-

to-day problems, how they procure the ood they need to eat,

how they build their homes, use the environment, dress, and

communicate among each other. And, o course, it involves

their inner world, the spiritual world: the way they celebrate

important events like birth and death, the way they explainthe origin o the world and humankind, their relationship

with nature, and also their art.

The culture o a people, region, or country also includes

the way the inhabitants recognize each other as part o a group.

Natural Diversity

Mexico is one o the worlds regions richest in plant and

animal diversity. Several biological inventories rank it ourth

worldwide in terms o the number o species it is home to: this

is a mega-diverse country, a category only open to countries that

are home to between 60 and 70 percent o the worlds entire bio-

logical diversity. Indonesia, India, Australia, the Democratic

Republic o the Congo, and Brazil are the other nations that

share this description. This natural diversity has made it pos-

sible or these peoples to have a rich, varied diet. It is sucient

to look at current recipe books, which mention the productsneeded to prepare a dish rom the states o Chihuahua, Jalis-

co, Chiapas, or Campeche, to see our great variety o fora and

auna: cultivated and gathered plants, seasonal or peren-

nial; animals that are shed or, hunted, collected, or raised.

To give just a couple o examples, the shrimp rom Sinaloa

do not taste the same as those rom Campeche or the little

ones rom Oaxaca; Mexican pepperlea lends a special favor

to ood in a large part o the countrys South but is practically

An Entire Cultural

System

Sol Rubn de la Borbolla*

MexicanCuisine


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Mexico is one o the worlds

regions richest in plant and

animal diversity. Several biological

inventories rank it ourth world-

wide in terms o the number o

species it is home to.

unknown in the North and Central Highlands. This immense

biological variety is due, among other reasons, to the topog-

raphy, the variety o climes, and a long, long geological, bio-

logical, and cultural history we human beings have also

contributed to changing the landscape and thereore, also the

natural resources.

Mesoamerica is a concept cultural and archaeological

scholars use to dene a geographical space in which, down

through the history o pre-Hispanic times, dierent soci-

eties shared cultural expressions and established a communi-

cations network. That space is bounded on the north by the

states o Sinaloa, Jalisco, and Veracruz, and to the south byparts o Central America, including the northern part o Cos-

ta Rica. Corn is the best example o this shared history; or

more than 10 000 years the inhabitants o Mesoamerica have

improved and diversied its cultivation. Today there are more

than 400 varieties, which, rom the natural point o view, rep-

resent great biological wealth. But, in addition, rom the gas-

tronomical-cultural perspective, each o these varieties has its

own specic use: or making tortillas, tamales, roughly milled


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resh corn pancakes called toqueras, the thick beverageatole,

and or preparing ritual, holiday, or medicinal oods.

a CoNCertof ethNiC GroupsaND Cultures

The dierent groups that have inhabited or thousands o

years what is now Mexico have let a very important mark.

When the Spaniards arrived to these lands in the sixteenth

century, a large number o peoples lived beyond what is known

as Mesoamerica; to the north, south, and east there were hu-

man settlements with dierent degrees o economic and social

development. Some oral versions o pre-Hispanic cultures

were set down in the colonial codices, books the rst evange-

lizing missionaries contracted indigenous chroniclers and

painters, or tlacuilos, to write, and have also been rendered in

writing at ceremonial centers and burial sites. However, littlerecovery work and study have been done o amily and residen-

tial spaces. Nevertheless, ceramics, painting, and a ew textiles

and pieces o basketwork or woodwork ound in archaeolog-

ical explorations help explain their use. Some o these pieces

are comparable to certain objects that are still to be ound in

the markets o rural and indigenous towns.

Settlements dating rom ater the conquest, above all those

linked to mining, raw materials, and animal husbandry, at-

tracted immigrants who came with their own cultural tradition:

From the mix o cultures also

arose an infnite number o

utensils adapted to the uses and

ashions o each era; many othem have even lasted or

hundreds o years because o

their useulness and beauty.

Pulquebread,bakedinawoo

d-burningoven.

Typical view of a tianguis, or open-air market.


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Spaniards with their Arabic heritage, Jews, and groups who

came as slaves rom dierent parts o Arica. They all brought

with them new products, culinary customs, crated items, and

other ways o explaining the world. To this was added the ex-

change through the Manila galleon trade with Asia, and the

trade with Spain and its other colonies through the royal feet

during the entire viceroyalty. Later, starting in the nineteenth

century, the growing trade was enriched with the presence o

immigrants rom countries like France, Germany, Italy, Eng-

land, and Lebanon, among others, which gave rise to innova-

tions in the way o eating, preparing, serving, and storing ood.

All these changes were less evident among the indigenous

peoples; but in urban and mestizo areas, the transormation

was much greater given that in Mexico, the mix o the di-

erent groups took place in all spheres o lie. The Spanish

brought the lathe, enamel ceramics, colonial looms, new tex-

tile bers like wool and ne silk, iron, glass, and numerous

techniques and tools or production and household use.

popular artaND GastroNomy

From the mix o cultures also arose an innite number o

utensils adapted to the uses and ashions o each era; many

o them have even lasted or hundreds o years because o

their useulness and beauty and because they are part o the

Traditional Michoacn wood-burning kitchen.

Corn atole in clay mugs.


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identity o a region or a social group, whether indigenous or

mestizo, rom the countryside or the city. Just like with gas-

tronomy, many o the transormations in olk art associated

with the cuisine came about because o regional dieren-

ces. In Mexicos South and Southeast, in indigenous areas,

pottery maintains some o its original orms: little boxes orplates, large earthen jars or liquids, clay jugs and pots that

are smoothed and burnished until they are waterproo. Bas-

kets are used to store grain, placed above the hearth on lots

to preserve it. In Central Mexico, the most common kind o

ceramics are enameled or glazed until they are vitreous, and

baskets are still used to transport ood; spoons and kitchen ur-

niture like dish-holders, spoon-holders, and chests are carved

rom wood. Tablecloths are woven on colonial looms or em-

broidered in cotton in a wide variety o colors.

Knie sets are another o the important part o olk art

linked to gastronomy. Although produced in many places,outstanding examples o knives are made in Oaxaca and, par-

ticularly, Michoacn, where perectly tempered steel is com-

bined with rare wood handles, and hammered copper pots

are used to make caramel and ruit candy or to deep-ry the

amous porkcarnitas.

Volcanic rock is used to make water lters; mortars and

pestles or grinding seeds and spices and to prepare a wide

variety o salsas; mealing stones to grindnixtamal (corn cooked

in a mixture o quicklime and water to make tortillas), cacao,

and other products.

Volcanic rock is used to make water flters;

mortars and pestles or grinding seeds

and spices and to prepare a wide variety

o salsas; and mealing stones to grind nixtamal,

cacao, and other products.

Grinding cacao on a metate.


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Today, it is not unusual to nd a volcanic rock mortar and

pestle next to an Osterizer in a Mexican kitchen, whether in the

city or the countryside, or clay pots next to pewter or Tefon.

Hot chocolate continues to be hand-beaten with turned wood-

en whisks, and millions o Mexicans drink coee or other hot

beverages in clay mugs.

Mole sauce, in all its regional variations, continues to be

the most popular dish or amily celebrations, which is why the

huge clay pots continue to be produced in dierent states

throughout the country like Puebla, Tlaxcala, Michoacn, and

the State o Mexico. In contrast, the blown and pressed glass

glasses typically used in the past to drinkpulque, a ermented

drink made rom cactus sap, have practically disappeared and

become collectors items since the beverage itsel is not con-

sumed as much today as beore.

Gastronomy is undoubtedly an element or establishing

identity in which the vast majority o Mexicans recognize

themselves, as are all the tools and utensils used or cook-

ing, storing, transporting, or serving ood. And these are all

intimately linked to the countrys dierent cultural regions.This means that the dierent dishes that make up daily, cer-

emonial, amily celebratory, or religious meals correspond

to diverse artisanal pieces. This means it is not unusual to nd

in most homes a clay pot used exclusively or making mole

or parties, even i it is only used twice or three times a year;

clay pots used or making rice are oten reserved exclusively

or that; the pots or cooking beans are usually not used to cook

other oods; and it is oten common to nd other implements

Gastronomy is undoubtedly an elementor establishing identity in which the vast majority

o Mexicans recognize themselves, as are all

the tools and utensils used or cooking,

storing, transporting, or serving ood.


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like pots, tablecloths, mats, clay pots, cut tissue-paper decora-

tions, among other things, reserved or special use or estiv-

ities and ceremonies.

O course, these variations are closely linked to the cul-

tural practices that endure in Mexico, as well as other actors

like buying power, ethnic and social groups, and geographi-

cal regions.

from mexiCotothe WorlD

The concept o patrimony or heritage involves the value placed

on a series o inherited goods, knowledge, and histories that,

with the passage o time, are transormed by the generation

that inherits them, which in turn, leaves them to those who

come ater. This is why, when the value o these goods is lost,

their classication as patrimony is lost.

Traditional cuisines are considered the patrimony o a so-

ciety because they are made up o a series o original or im-

ported products that with the passage o time are naturalized

by the country that adopted them; a series o processes carried

out to transorm and use the raw materials, likenixtamaliza-

cin or using the cacao bean in the case o Mexico;1 techniques

or preparing ood, like those used to make tortillas, to wrap

tamales, to preserve certain meats, among others; rituals, like

the ceremonies to pray or a good crop; objects, utensils, tools,

and recipients that satisy certain needs like themetate or

mealing stone, the molcajete or stone mortar and pestle, themo-

linillo or turned wooden whisk or beating chocolate, the river

nets and traps or shing, the baskets or transporting and

storing products, etc.; and oral histories through which knowl-

edge and wisdom are transmitted. Using these parameters,

certain criteria have been developed that characterize tradi-

tional cuisines and Mexicos ullls all o them:

Originality. Mexicos cuisine emerged in its own territory.

Its strength was born o a long historical process o more than

10 centuries o experimentation and the development o culti-vation, use, and domestication o the local wild fora and au-

na, o preparation techniques, and o ways o serving and sharing

ood. From pre-Hispanic times until today, it has been en-

riched by contributions rom other cultures.

Diversity. Natural diversity is measured by the variety o

species, and cultural diversity by the number o living lan-

guages in a specic territory; using the latter indicator, Mex-

ico takes third place worldwide, ater China and India.

The appropriation

o products, techniques,

and ways o preparing and

serving ood has madeMexicos cuisine a lively,

dynamic maniestation

o its culture.

In a collective cuisine, everyone takes part.


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Historical continuity. The most recent archaeological nds

show that, since the humans inhabiting Mesoamerica began

domesticating corn, their basic oodstu, 10 000 years have

passed. Thereore, the development o the body o knowl-

edge and techniques or the use o local products has taken

all that time.Authenticity. The appropriation o products, techniques,

and ways o preparing and serving ood has made Mexicos

cuisine a lively, dynamic maniestation o its culture. Since

pre-Hispanic times, the trade routes and relations or con-

quest and tribute determined that products would travel rom

one territory to another. Today, the contributions rom other

cultures can still be traced without eliminating the basis or

indigenous nutrition: corn, squash, beans, and chili peppers.

Identity. Food is present at all celebrations in Mexico: rom

birth until death, in civic and religious estas. In addition, it is

a actor or social cohesion because o the community signi-icance it embodies, rom the cultivation o the products to the

way the table or altar is laid out.

* * *

Examples conrming why Mexican cuisine is part o the coun-

trys cultural patrimony are all around us: the recipes we in-

herit rom our grandmothers have amily value as a heritage,

but they also reproduce the orms o preparation and favors

that are close to us and our surroundings. What amily, civic,

or religious esta does not bring to mind a certain dish or spe-

cial way o preparing it? Suce it to think oesquites (corn

cut rom the cob and favored with the pungent epazote herb)

at a air, or tamales on the Day o Our Lady o Candelaria. Andeven, day-to-day, who can resist that delicacy, a tortilla with

salt just o the griddle? We have ood patrimony at hand every

day: the originality, authenticity, historical continuity, diversity,

and identity o Mexicos cuisines accompany us in all spheres

o lie. It is our responsibility to preserve them.

Notes

1 The process onixtamalizacin is used to prepare corn or making tortillasby slaking corn kernels with water and calcium oxide, or quicklime, to soten

them.

Traditional cuisines are

considered the patrimony o

a society because they aremade up o a series o

original or imported products

that with the passage o

time are naturalized by the

country that adopted them.

Making a corunda, a kind of tamale.

Tortillas fresh off the griddle.

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mexican reginal cuisine9409 (1)