By Gregorio Luke, Historian of Mexican and Latin American Art and Culture
When we talk of culture we think of literature, painting or sculpture, but a cuisine is also a form of culture and in the case of Mexican cuisine, it is the only cuisine in the world recognized by UNESCO as Cultural Patrimony of Humanity.
You may wonder what it is about this cuisine that is so unique to receive such distinction. Simply stated, Mexican cuisine changed the way people eat in the world. In México we used for the first time corn, tomatoes, cacao, vanilla and many other products that are now part of every cuisine and diet. Most remarkably, Mexican cuisine has remained consistent throughout thousands of years. The molcajete we use today to prepare salsas is the same that was used by the Aztecs.
Moctezuma, the Aztec emperor, had a vast network of couriers bringing him goods from all over the country; he had ice from the high mountains, fresh fish from the coasts and so many different kinds of birds that he established his own aviary. Chroniclers describe how every day they prepared over 80 different dishes for him.
This rich culinary diversity was enjoyed also by the population at large, as can be seen in the famous markets or tianguis. Diego Rivera once painted in a mural in the National Palace of Mexico City what he imagined were the great pre-Hispanic markets that offered goods from all over the country. When the Spaniards first saw this, they were amazed because there was nothing comparable in Europe.
The Spaniards arrived in the New World in search of gold. Little did they imagine that the true riches would not be under the ground, but would grow on it. See this presentation on Luke’s website. It will take you on a culinary journey from the ancient times of the Aztecs and the Mayans, to the colonial period and from Mexico’s turbulent 19th century to the present.
The basic product upon which the entire cuisine is built is corn, or like we call it, maíz. According to ancient Mexicans, corn was a gift of the Gods. The Mayans believed that man himself was made of corn.
Corn does not grow spontaneously in nature; it requires the hand of people. It took thousands of years to develop the corn that we know today. From the corn, ancient Mexicans derived all kinds of meals. Absolutely nothing was wasted; even the husks were used as a wrapping device or the cobs as caps for gourds.
Corn was eaten as a liquid in atoles or in a solid form, like the tamales. But there is much more, for example from the hair of the corn, Mexicans prepare a tea that is an excellent diuretic. Even the fungus that grows on corn (huitlacoche) is eaten as a delicacy.
There are many ways of using corn, but perhaps the most famous is the tortilla. It has been said that tortillas are simultaneously table cloth, napkin, dish, spoon, base and condiment for other foods.
With the tortilla we prepare the delicious taco. It is perfect in its simplicity and beauty. The taco offers endless culinary possibilities.
As important as the corn is the chile. The chile is the spice of life, but it also has many nutritional values and the highest concentration of vitamins of any food. Chiles are also the best antioxidants that exist.
The chile is the basis for the salsas. And México has some of the best salsas (sauces) of any country. Each salsa adds not only flavor but also texture to the cuisine. Another staple food in México are the frijoles or beans, and there is a great variety of these.
You can appreciate the health value of all these products by realizing that when the Europeans came to the Americas, the people in this continent had none of the sicknesses that were ravaging Europe. One of the reasons that the American Indian population was so decimated is that they had no defenses, because they had never experienced illnesses, such as smallpox, that were introduced by the Europeans.
Another characteristic of Mexican cuisine is its creativity. It offers a new definition of what is edible. For example, there were few animals that were domesticated in ancient México, among them the turkey or guajolote. So Mexicans had to find other sources of protein. Some of these sources were insects. We think of insects as dirty or inedible. But, these ideas are unfounded: Why would a pig be cleaner than a cricket? Many of these insects, such as the maguey worms, are still eaten today. In the same area where you can have a couple of cows you could grow millions of insects. We could effectively end hunger in the world.
Details: www.gregorioluke.com/lectures