Tamales from Oaxaca

Probably the first-known kind of portable food, tamales originated in the pre-hispanic Aztec civilization and then spread to the rest of Mesoamèrica. Tamales have been ever since as ubiquitous and varied as the sandwich is today.
Almost every state in Mèxico has its own way of making them, and even then, the recipes vary from region to region.

This flavorful tamal is filled with the Oaxacan staple "amarillo" - a mild-flavor mole, made with regional chiles and corn - chicken, and hierba santa leaves.

The ancient grinding tool

A metate (meh-tah-teh) is most of the times a volcanic stone slab and a sort of rolling pin of the same material, used for processing grain and seeds. In traditional Mesoamerican culture, metates are typically used by women in order to grind calcified maize and obtain the base flour for tortillas, tamales and other corn-based foods.

In the modern world, grinding machines are used to produce the corn flour, but in many regions in Mèxico, the metate grinding tradition is quite alive, since the textures you get with this tool are impossible to obtain with any machine.

It is also used to grind the numerous ingredients needed to make Mole.

Using this grinding method is a tremendous workout! To begin with, you have to kneel in front of the metate and bend forward keeping this position the whole time, then hold the heavy stone pin by both ends, and start grinding using your whole upper body and your arms pressing hard against the stone slab and pushing away and back an infinite number of times until the corn kernels are reduced to powder!
This definitely makes you appreciate a hand-ground tortilla a lot more.

From Chiapas with love

From the southernmost state of Mèxico, Chiapas - these steamed corn masa tamales are wrapped in banana-tree leaves, and filled with shredded chicken with Mole, almonds, olives, prunes and plantain, a delightful mix of sweet and salty flavors!

Pineapple tamales

A sweet variation, the corn masa is flavored with real pineapple juice and filled with the same fruit. For those with the sweet tooth!

The origins of chocolate..

Cocoa - Theobroma cacao - is native to Mexico and Central America and records show it has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years!
Aztecs ground and processed these seeds to make a paste, diluting it with hot water and working up thick froth; it was served to Aztec royals in court and also used in religious rituals and medicine.

They called it xocolàtl - meaning "bitter water"; as it had a strong bitter taste, it was the Spaniards who added sugar after they brought it to Spain, where it became a favourite drink with royalty.

Chocolate is the main ingredient in champurrado, a delicious corn-based variation of the original chocolate drink.. see following post.

Hot chocolate drink

Champurrado is a traditional corn-based drink, made with corn masa, water or milk, anise, cinnamon, piloncillo - unrefined sugar - and the basic ingredient, Mexican chocolate.
It is traditionally served with tamales, and a very popular drink sold by street vendors, especially on cold days!

Tasty poblano pepper

This tamal is filled with a stew of the mild poblano pepper, corn, onions and a bit of fresh cheese.
A flavorful vegetarian option.

Sweet tamales

These sweet tamales are flavored with sugar, cinnamon, a hint of anise and filled with raisins and almonds.
I am sure every Mexican person has fond memories of "tamales de dulce", as children are always given these in alternative to the spicier tamales.

Traditional hot drink

ATOLE, from the nahuatl word atolli = "watered down" - is a pre-hispanic origin hot drink; it consists of corn masa that is diluted with water and sweetened with piloncillo or unrefined sugar, it has a very smooth texture and it's quite invigorating.

There are infinite variations such as adding milk, flavoring with fruits, and sweetening with honey or syrups. Among the classic flavors: Cinnamon, vanilla, strawberry, guava, pecan, rice, prune, and in this case blackberries.

A great caffeine-free option to warm up in cold weather!

Happy New Year!

During the month of December, as the year comes to an end, street stands in Oaxaca serve "buñuelos" - fried fritters the size of a medium-sized plate and soaked in piloncillo and cinnamon syrup - the tradition says that when you are finished eating, you have to smash the plate against the floor as you make a wish for the new year.

I took this picture on Christmas eve; it is quite a unique experience to walk around the streets and every now and then hear and see plates being smashed all over the place!