Early Illustration of a Mexican Cayenne Type

The Soul of the Mexicans, Part 2

Dave DeWitt Mexico and Central America Leave a Comment

By Dave DeWitt Aztec Chiles In 1529, Bernardino de Sahagún, a Spanish Franciscan friar living in Nueva España (Mexico) noted that the Aztecs ate hot red or yellow chile peppers in their hot chocolate and in nearly every dish they prepared! Fascinated by the Aztec’s constant use of a previously unknown spice, Sahagún documented this fiery cuisine in his classic …

Kabul Humanitarian Aid Assistance Mission

A Farangi in Afghanistan, Part II

Lois Manno Middle East Leave a Comment

A Foodie in Modern-day Kabul(See Part I of this series here.) by Susan Marx As a humanitarian aid worker with a passion for good food, it was with trepidation that I made my move to Afghanistan in early 2007. After a tumultuous year spent in Baghdad, Iraq in 2006 during which I saw increasing suicide bombings and other attacks throughout …

The Soul of the Mexicans, Part 1

Dave DeWitt Mexico and Central America Leave a Comment

By Dave DeWitt Chile is so ingrained into the culture of Mexico that chile expert Arturo Lomelí wrote: “Chile, they say, is the king, the soul of the Mexicans—a nutrient, a medicine, a drug, a comfort. For many Mexicans, if it were not for the existence of chile, their national identity would begin to disappear.” Early Origins In southern Mexico …