|
cuisines |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
popularity of the Mexican cuisine around the world attests to the
tremendous variety of dishes coming from far and wide across our
country. Love of Mexican food shows an appreciation not only for the
constant process of search and discovery of the right combination of
the ingredients, but for the great Mexican imagination.
The richness of our cuisine flows from our concern for the sensory
experience of eating, for we know that the taste, smell, and look of
food can enrich an inspire the spirit. It is often said that
"cuisine is culture", and to understand the development of
Mexican cuisine it is important to know something of the history of
Mexico. In the pre-Colombian period, the diet of Mexican ancestors
was purely native, with nutrition based on the great product of
Mexican agriculture, corn. When thrashed and boiled into a "pozole",
the corn could be made into flavorful tortillas and tamales, or
rendered into flour for other variations.
The diet of corn was supplemented with vegetables and meat. A great
variety of spices, known as "chile," could be combined
with sweet potato, beans, squash, "chayote", and "jicama".
Early mexicans also relied on herbs such as "los quelites",
"quintoniles", "huazontles", and a wide range of
mushrooms. Indigenous wildlife such as deer, rabbits, armadillos,
raccoons, "tepezcuintles", and birds such as turkeys,
pigeons, and quails could also be served. Even turtles, snakes, and
frogs could be made to complement the native American plate.
After the Conquest and during the colonial period, the country's
cuisine changed dramatically with the culinary influences brought
along by the Spanish. With the conquistadores and their descendents
came a taste for "cebada" , for rice, olives, wines,
spices from India, beef, and different kinds of fruit. Today's
Mexican cuisine is a blend of the original Indian fare with the
Spanish.
Some of the greatest innovations in Mexican cuisine came from the
inspiration of nuns, among whose activities were to cook for the
monks and priests. In great feasts held in the honor of the Viceroy,
the nuns of the famous convents in Puebla, Michoacan and Oaxaca
attained brilliance in traditional bakery. The nuns developed many
new pastries and covered sweets, including "natillas",
"jamoncillos", "cajetas", and "bụuelos".
The most famous of the nuns creations is the spicy "mole
poblano" sauce born from the "mulli" a typical sauce
of the "nahuas" which combines a variety of "chiles".
For a dinner to receive a new archbishop, one of the nuns of the
Convento de Santa Rosa de Puebla decided to alter the "mulli"
by adding other seasonings such as chocolate, peanuts, sesame and
cinnamon just to reduce its overwhelming spicyness.
During
the 19th century, mexican woman played a profound role in domestic
life. To be a good women in Mexico means to have a profound
knowledge and great skill in preparing the cuisine. The imagination,
talent and gift for improvisation of the women of that period
contributed much to the recipes which have been handed down to us.
The demand for their delicious dishes around the world is a
testament to them.
Mexicans
are very proud of our cuisine; to us, it gives a sense of unity and
identity everywhere in the world were we meet.
|
|
