By Julie Etra

This fungus, Ustilago maydis, which is parasitic on corn, has been considered part of the culinary heritage of Mexico since pre-Hispanic times. Cuitlacoche is the classic náhuatl (Aztec) word, Spanish-ized to huitlacoche since the Spaniards had a hard time with its pronunciation (this is reflected throughout Mexico, as various languages became mestizo-ized.) Cuitlacoche is derived from cuitlatl, which has been misinterpreted as meaning excrement, but actually means excrescence or outgrowth, comparative to a gall, and cochi, meaning sleep or sleeping. This is a good description of the parasitic fungi that grows in between and into the kernels of corn, impeding their development, leaving them ‘asleep’ and distorted. Continue reading Cuitlacoche or Huitlacoche →

By Brooke Gazer

Walking through a food market or any major grocery store in Mexico you are likely to find piles of dried chiles. A staple in Mexican cooking, they are rated from 1-5 on a hotness scale, 1 being mild. (Ultimately, pepper hotness scales are based on Scoville Heat Units, developed in 1912 by Wilbur Scoville, a chemist working for Parke Davis Pharmaceutical Company.) Dried chiles have a lower, slower burn than their fresh counterparts, and are perhaps sweeter. Continue reading Taking the Mystery Out of Dried Chiles →

By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken

Mexican soup, to folks north of the border, usually means tortilla soup, or as it is usually called in Mexico, sopa Azteca. Usually made from a rich chicken soup with pureed tomatoes and garnished with avocado and cheese cubes, cilantro, diced onions, and, of course, crisp fried tortilla strips, the exact flavors vary from cook to cook. Although it is a favorite throughout Mexico, the varieties of other soups are virtually infinite and vary from region to region and season to season. Continue reading Mexican Soups: Sopas, Cremas, Caldos, But Not Sopes →

By Kary Vannice

I’m a pescetarian. Sounds pretentious, I know. I try to avoid using the word, actually. But it is an accurate description of my personal eating habits. It means I don’t eat land animals. Or as I used to put it… “No feathers, no feet, no fur.” That was until this last January when I was faced with the invitation to eat rattlesnake. Continue reading Rattlesnakes and Scorpions →