What is Mexican?

I write a lot about Mexican food here but what makes a dish truly "Mexican"? Are there a set criteria? Well, it is a tricky, gray area for sure. Here is the opinion of a student from Chihuahua, Mexico, Priscilla:

Tamales!

Throughout my research, I interviewed several people from the Mexican community in Fredericton about Mexico and the memories that they have of their home that are associated with food. Here is a clip of my interview with Adriana who is from Mexico City.

Dia de los Muertos

"...chases after it, mocks it, courts it, hugs it, sleeps with it; it is his favorite plaything and his most lasting love." - Octavio Paz on Mexicans and death

The Day of the Dead is a peculiar holiday in Mexico that takes place on November 2nd also known as All Souls Day. November 1st is All Saints Day and is reserved for remembrance of children and the 2nd is reserved for those who died as adults.

The Day of the Dead is a holiday that is deeply associated with food. To honour the memories of those passed on, people build large, colourful altars that house many of the foods that the dead person liked. Altars often include crepe-paper cut-outs (papel picado), wreaths and crosses decorated with silk flowers, skeleton motifs or candy skulls with the deceased's name on them (above), candles and flowers. Amongst the food that the person enjoyed in his/her past life is a special bread called "pan de muerto" (pictured on top) that completes the altar.



The idea is that the dead come back and enjoy these feasts with their living loved ones, a concept that seems extremely strange to those in a country where people fear death. In Mexico, death is often joked about. Here are some testimonials about Dia de los Muertos from some Mexican people in Fredericton:

Frijoles Refritos

Frijoles (Pintos) Refritos or as we better know them, Refried Beans are a fairly common part of the Mexican diet. Refried Beans is actually a misnomer, refritos actually means well-fried and not twice-fried.

Beans are a huge part of the Mexican diet and date back to precolonial days where the natives ate beans with corn tortillas as a huge staple in their diets. beans are rich in iron and protein and acted as a meat substitute for people in areas where suitable meat was unavailable. Everyone has a different method for cooking their beans and I spent a lot of time perfecting the way I cook my beans. Here is my recipe:

What you'll need:


Step 1: Sort through 2 cups of dried pinto beans to eliminate bad beans, you can buy bags of them at Wal-mart or you can buy them at grocery or bulk stores. Rinse the beans in cold water with a strainer and set in a bowl with about an inch of water covering the beans. Leave overnight or for a few hours.

Step 2: Rinse beans again. Now put beans in a large pot with 8 cups of water, bring water to a boil.

Step 3: Reduce heat to medium. Now add your onion, how much you add is up to you but I added one half of the onion pictured above, peeled and cut into large chunks. Let these simmer for another 40 minutes or so. I also added a large, dried Pasilla chile (can be bought at the Scoop-and-Save) for an extra bit of spicy flavor, can be substituted with fresh chiles, and as many as you wish depending on personal tastes.

Step 4: Next I like to add 1/4 or 1/2 a teaspoon of dried oregano, you can also add a tsp. of salt now but I usually wait until the beans are cooked thoroughly because adding salt too early can make beans tough. Cover and cook for about an hour and a half or until beans are quite soft.
Optional: Some people often times, fry the beans in lard or with bacon drippings to add flavor. A vegetarian option would be to fry with olive or canola oil. I don't like cooking with lard or bacon but I wanted to enjoy some added flavor so I added a cup and a half of organic chicken broth to the water. This can easily be substituted for beef broth or bouillon.

Step 5: In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of lard, bacon drippings, butter, canola oil, or whatever you wish on medium-high heat, I chose canola oil. When the oil is hot, slowly add the beans and some of the leftover juice from the pot and begin mashing the beans with a potato masher, fork or even the flat side of a wooden spoon. The beans should have a smooth consistency with a few scattered whole beans, not too soupy.

This is my favourite way of making refried beans but there are many other ways. Be creative!

El Dia De Reyes

All this talk of hot chocolate has reminded me of some of the conversations I've had in my interviews with members of the Mexican community in Fredericton. When asked about their favourite memories that they associate with food from their respective homes, several people brought up their love of la Rosca or Rosca de Reyes and a warm cup of hot chocolate on El Dia De Reyes.

"Well, what is it?", you ask. Good Question. El Dia De Reyes or Día de los Tres Reyes Magos is loosely translated as Three Kings Day, the Epiphany, remembering the day when the Three Wise Men followed the star to Bethlehem and arrived bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the Baby Jesus. The actual feast takes place on January 6th but a few days before, A couple of days earlier, children write their letters to the Wise Men, or to their favorite Rey Mago: Melchor, Gaspar, or Baltasar, asking for the presents they would like to receive and the evening before (January 5th) the Three Wisemen/Kings/Magi are placed in the nativity scene. Another fun tradition involves a visit to Alameda, a park in Mexico City on the evenings before Jan. 6th. Hundreds of helium balloons are available for sale so children can attach their letters and send them by balloon to the Reyes Magos (Royal Magi).

On January 6th, a feast is prepared called Merienda de Reyes and for this feast, Rosca de Reyes is prepared. Rosca de Reyes, pictured above, is an oval shaped, sweet bread which is adorned with candied fruit. The tradition of serving la Rosca was introduced by the Spaniards and is sometimes served with corn tamales to represent pre-colonial food. Hot chocolate is traditionally served with la Rosca as well. The tradition goes as follows: a small plastic figurine of a baby (Jesus) is hidden inside the bread (this represents the need to find a secure place for the birth, to protect Jesus from King Herod) and each person cuts one piece of Rosca (the knife represents the danger Baby Jesus was in) and if your piece contains the hidden doll, you have to prepare tamales for Candelaria or Candle Mass Day on February 2nd for all the guests at the feast and in some traditions, buy a new Ropón or dress for the Baby Jesus of the nativity scene.

I have never prepared Rosca myself but you can find a great recipe for this in the book Like Water for Chocolate or here.

For less analytical view of the holiday, listen to my friend Adriana tell you why El Dia De Reyes is one of the things she misses most about her home:



Here is a clip from UNB Professor Maria Teresa Grant about celebrating Dia de Reyes:

Chocolate Caliente

Since my last entry focused on the book Like Water for Chocolate, I've decided to write about the inspiration for the title of the book: hot chocolate. Hot chocolate in Canada in very different than that of Mexico; for most Canadians, hot chocolate comes in a powdered mix that you make with hot water or for some, milk. In Mexico, hot chocolate or chocolate caliente is a creamy drink that is very popular. It is made with whole milk and real chocolate, preferably dark, Mexican chocolate. In the photo above, I have featured three different types of chocolate, all of which I have found to make for a very nice cup of hot chocolate.

The first brand is the Nestle Abuelita Brand which is actually a very popular brand in Mexico and is made in Mexico. Fun Fact: "Abuelita" is the Spanish word for "grandma/granny". The recipe for hot chocolate appears on the label as this chocolate is produced for the sole purpose of making hot chocolate. For all of you Fredericton people, Abuelita Hot Chocolate is available at the Scoop-and-Save!

The other two bars are Lindt brand which has several different kinds of dark chocolate available. My two favourites are the 90% Cacao and the Chili Piment Rouge. The latter has an especially nice taste as the chile gives the hot chocolate spicy hint.

Everyone has their own way of making hot chocolate and typically all you really need is your favourite chocolate and some milk, preferably whole milk to achieve the authentic creamy texture BUT if you don't want the added fat, you can still use skim milk if you wish. I make my Mexican hot chocolate with: whole milk, 1 tablet of Abuelita chocolate and sometimes 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and/or a pinch of cinnamon. If you can't find Abuelita brand and are using just regular chocolate, sometimes some chile powder gives the drink a nice taste like in this Rachel Ray recipe.

To prepare: In a medium saucepan, heat ingredients over high heat. Stir constantly with a whisk until mixture is frothy and starting to boil. You have the option of adding sugar, cinnamon or whatever you wish and then serve immediately. This should make at least four mugs of hot chocolate.

Como Agua Para Chocolate

WOW! What a great novel! I really enjoyed this book by Mexican magical realism author Laura Esquivel. The title "Like Water for Chocolate" or in Spanish "Como Agua Para Chocolate" refers to an expression used in Mexico to describe intense desire, heat and passion. Here in Canada we are used to instant hot chocolate mixes where all we do is add hot water to the powdered mix. In Mexico making hot chocolate with water is very rare as people make hot chocolate by melting chocolate pieces into whole milk. If water is used instead of milk, the temperature needs to be at the boiling point for the chocolate to melt completely so to say that a person is "like water for chocolate" would mean that they are one hot babe or feeling intense sexual desire.

The book centers around a girl named Tita who is cursed by a family tradition that states that since she is the youngest girl in the family, she must never marry so that she must care for her mother until her mother dies. Tita falls in love with Pedro but her mother does not allow them to marry so in an effort to stay close to Tita, Pedro marries her sister Rosaura. Drama! Tita is also a brilliant cook and her only way of communicating her desire and emotions for Pedro is through the meals that she makes. The book is filled with recipes and home remedies that are definitely worth a try if you can gather the ingredients.

Both the Spanish and English versions of this novel are available for preview and order through Amazon here and here. I bought my copy at Chapters in Fredericton and I'm pretty sure that you could also find a copy at the Owl's Nest downtown.



There is a great film adaptation of Like Water for Chocolate available, you can probably rent it at Blockbuster. Here's a clip: