For corn, that is. It is officially harvest time here in the State of Mexico, in the region where I am working. Most growers gather the whole family to go out to the fields and harvest the partially dried cobs, while others hire people to help them. The cobs are then stored to dry so they can be used either for animal feed or more commonly for tortillas. White corn (although yellowish in appearance) is used for household consumption, whereas yellow is for feed. The super advanced farmers use mechanical harvesters, but that is rare where I am working. Last week as I was doing surveys on a sunday in the most rural community I work in, I passed by the house of the woman who is my contact there (a student in the university where I'm affiliated) and she and her family were harvesting, so I asked to join. It was hot (I burnt the back of my neck) but a blast. We didn't stay long, as we wanted to keep on with the surveys, but they invited us in anyway to eat quesadillas with the cheese that they make there (the dad works as a dairy distributer). Amazing cheese. Also they invited us to an ice cream that they make in-house! A perfect dream. The family was very sweet to me and loved that I wanted to harvest. As we were leaving, the mother of the family said "this is your home!" I'd love to go back and spend some time with them. Pictures show me peeling a cob, and my friend Maribel's mother and 2 younger brothers.
In addition to the harvesting, I also met up with another contact in one of my communities to learn how to make tortillas! Senora Lorenza was gracious enough to show me how she makes tortillas on her wood-fired comal. Although she already prepared the masa (with their own white corn) she taught me how to knead, press the tortillas in the prensa, and then carefully peel them off and set them on the hot comal without burning my fingers or folding the tortillas. Took me a while to get it and despite my frustration she told me I had to keep going, otherwise I will never learn! I made several kilos of tortillas, while we chatted about family and diet, how all the modern processed crap makes us all sick. Her chickens and sheep sounding in the background the whole time. Her husband works as a groundsman at the university where I am affiliated and they have a very sweet family. Their daughter is studying to be a nurse and has no interest in making tortillas! Several family members (90 year old grandma, sister-in-laws) stopped in and saw me making the tortillas, and told me that now I can marry! It's the key, knowing how to make tortillas. I realized half-way in that I wasn't making tortillas for their home, rather they had made the masa just for me, just so I could learn and take them all home. That is how generous they are. What an experience, I can't wait to make them again someday. The pictures show Senora Lorenza making tortillas, then my attempt, and the last picture is of Lorenza, her mother-in-law (was out back grazing her lambs) and her sister-in-law. Note the beautiful nopal in the background. It's the kind that grows green (they say white) nopal fruit, totally delicious.
Dia de los Muertos is so far my favorite thing about Mexico (besides the food, landscapes, and people). I have already posted it as a miracle, but I want to dedicate some more time to it. As with many Mexican holidays, one day sort of turns into like 3 or 4 days of celebration. This also includes the mixing up of Halloween and Dia de los Muertos, which results in lots of kids in costumes asking for candy on the street, witches and spiderwebs on people's doors, plus the traditional decor of marigolds, amaranth, offerings for your dead loved ones in the form of sugar (see picture of candy skulls) or chocolate or bread (pan de muerto, yum), papel picado (the thin crepe paper with cool decorations carved into them), and lots of super colorful adornments of skeleton and Catrinas.
My friend and sister Mara came to check out the celebrations! We went all over the city (downtown, Condesa, San Angel, and mostly Coyoacan) meeting with friends, checking out the altars and offerings, and eating. The center of Coyoacan had some great altars that we browsed, and the markets were filled with decorations. My favorite was the one with the skulls that says "todos somos Coyoacan" or "we're all Coyoacan" with the skulls representing anarchists, hippies, communists, etc... We all belong!
For corn, that is. It is officially harvest time here in the State of Mexico, in the region where I am working. Most growers gather the whole family to go out to the fields and harvest the partially dried cobs, while others hire people to help them. The cobs are then stored to dry so they can be used either for animal feed or more commonly for tortillas. White corn (although yellowish in appearance) is used for household consumption, whereas yellow is for feed. The super advanced farmers use mechanical harvesters, but that is rare where I am working. Last week as I was doing surveys on a sunday in the most rural community I work in, I passed by the house of the woman who is my contact there (a student in the university where I'm affiliated) and she and her family were harvesting, so I asked to join. It was hot (I burnt the back of my neck) but a blast. We didn't stay long, as we wanted to keep on with the surveys, but they invited us in anyway to eat quesadillas with the cheese that they make there (the dad works as a dairy distributer). Amazing cheese. Also they invited us to an ice cream that they make in-house! A perfect dream. The family was very sweet to me and loved that I wanted to harvest. As we were leaving, the mother of the family said "this is your home!" I'd love to go back and spend some time with them. Pictures show me peeling a cob, and my friend Maribel's mother and 2 younger brothers.
In addition to the harvesting, I also met up with another contact in one of my communities to learn how to make tortillas! Senora Lorenza was gracious enough to show me how she makes tortillas on her wood-fired comal. Although she already prepared the masa (with their own white corn) she taught me how to knead, press the tortillas in the prensa, and then carefully peel them off and set them on the hot comal without burning my fingers or folding the tortillas. Took me a while to get it and despite my frustration she told me I had to keep going, otherwise I will never learn! I made several kilos of tortillas, while we chatted about family and diet, how all the modern processed crap makes us all sick. Her chickens and sheep sounding in the background the whole time. Her husband works as a groundsman at the university where I am affiliated and they have a very sweet family. Their daughter is studying to be a nurse and has no interest in making tortillas! Several family members (90 year old grandma, sister-in-laws) stopped in and saw me making the tortillas, and told me that now I can marry! It's the key, knowing how to make tortillas. I realized half-way in that I wasn't making tortillas for their home, rather they had made the masa just for me, just so I could learn and take them all home. That is how generous they are. What an experience, I can't wait to make them again someday. The pictures show Senora Lorenza making tortillas, then my attempt, and the last picture is of Lorenza, her mother-in-law (was out back grazing her lambs) and her sister-in-law. Note the beautiful nopal in the background. It's the kind that grows green (they say white) nopal fruit, totally delicious. 
