By Carole Reedy

Twenty years ago, on the first morning in my new home in classy San Miguel de Allende, I awoke (at 4 am) to what sounded like a barnyard quarrel in my courtyard. The racket actually was coming from the neighboring patio where, besides raising chickens, the owners trained several fierce roosters for cockfighting. It’s important to note that I lived in the heart of the city centro, not on the outskirts. Continue reading Cockfighting in Mexico: Preserving Tradition →

By Deborah Van Hoewyk

How Do You Like Your Chicken Crafted?

Chickens haven’t changed the world, even if they’ve changed our diet—as of 2012, Americans ate more chicken than either beef or pork (those McNuggets aren’t necessarily better for you than beef) and KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken for those of you not up on the Colonel’s latest facelift) is the largest restaurant chain in China. However, according to Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs, and Steel (a fascinating assessment of things that have changed history), chickens are just small domestic birds that have proved useful to mankind. Continue reading Chicken Art →

By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D.

In the last issue of The Eye I wrote an essay supporting the proposition that a major reason we should recognize the importance of mezcal, the Mexican agave-based spirit, is that no two batches are the same. Here we examine another reason why mezcal is a big deal: mezcal production is one of the most sustainable industries in all Mexico.

For the benefit of those who do not read The Eye monthly, let’s first review what I previously wrote regarding the basics of Oaxacan mezcal production. Continue reading What’s the Big Deal About Mezcal in Oaxaca? Second in a Series →