Paletas (Mexican Frozen Fruit Bars)
By Nancy Gerlach, Food Editor Emeritus The Ice Cream Penguin selling paletas at the beach The summer season here in Chelem Puerto, Mexico is officially over and what a crazy past few months it’s been. Our normally quiet and deserted beach was invaded by hordes of Mexican families that came to escape the heat and humidity of Merida and other …
The Soul of the Mexicans, Part 3
Creating a Cuisine, by Dave DeWitt The arrival of the Spanish in Mexico had a profound effect on the cuisine of the country as the ingredients the explorers brought with them soon transformed the eating habits of the Indians. However, the Aztecs and their descendants did not give up their beloved staples such as chiles, corn, and chocolate; they combined …
The Soul of the Mexicans, Part 2
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 …
The Soul of the Mexicans, Part 1
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 …