Michi Strausfeld: “Culinary Delights.” Mexico’s Delicious Heritage – The Culture

Have you ever eaten a piece of Tartaffle? Or a paradise apple? Absolutely! Because these two crops are potatoes and tomatoes, both of which were initially skeptical by immigrants from South America, but today it is impossible to imagine European cuisine without them. Similarly, corn, chili peppers, vanilla, and many other lesser-known edible plants. Mexico seemed like a paradise to conquistadors from starvation regions of Europe such as Extremadura.

“They resemble truffles and when cooked are soft on the inside like roasted chestnuts. Like truffles, they have neither shell nor pulp, because they grow like them underground.” This is how Pedro Siza de Leon, a Spaniard who came to Peru in 1533, described potatoes. Through his works, Europe learned much about the indigenous way of life and diet, which was soon almost wiped out by European aggression. For example about quinoa, which is available in every health food store today, or about the delicious guinea pigs, called “Indian rabbits”, which did not make it to the plate in Europe, but only to the children’s room.

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Michi Straussfeld, connoisseur and publisher of Latin American literature, is concerned not only with the products in her enlightening and sensual book, but above all with what has been produced and continues to result from the violent mixing of European and Latin American cuisines in terms of culinary excellence, especially in Mexico and Peru as well as in Brazil.

After Cortes’ conquest, Mexico, with its wealth of flora and fauna, soon became a melting pot of the culinary cultures of Latin America, Europe and Asia. For soon the galleons came to Acapulco from the Spanish Philippines as well, and they loaded up with pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Goods were transported overland for shipment from Veracruz to Europe, along with Mexican produce such as potatoes, corn, or tomatoes. By the way, the Spaniards contributed garlic, beef and citrus fruits. And, of course, in transit country Mexico, products and tastes melded into something completely new.

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Straussfeld’s expert explanations, peppered with numerous literary references, are complemented by recipes by Brazilian chef Sabine Hoek. They show, for example, the preparation of Mexico’s national dish Chiles en Nogada, peppers stuffed with walnut salsa and pomegranate seeds, while Straussfeld explains how this dish experienced its ups and downs between colonial times, independence and the Mexican Revolution, and is now a staple at every banquet table in the country. Likewise, Aztec pozole, a sophisticated sorghum and pork stew, may or may not be required depending on political developments: while the white upper class favored French cuisine as superior to the natives and mestizo, the population did so after independence in 1821. Return to the culinary traditions of the Aztecs.

Many of the recipes are relatively simple and make you want to cook them, also because you get acquainted with the ancient dishes that I always thought came from Italy: the conquerors, in their advance to Tenochtitlan, the magnificent capital of the Aztecs, were afraid of ending up with them. In a pot, “cooked in an unfamiliar sauce made of tomatoes, chili peppers, and salt called chimol”. Mexicans know many variations, sometimes with smoked chili (chipotle sauce), and sometimes with lime and cilantro (pico de gallo). Their experience is definitely a win.