When Aztecs Carve Pumpkins!

More About Today's Featured Music

This is is the second version of this track that Xavier has recorded, the first being on the album Codex with his America Indigena act.  This actually appears on the CD pictured above:  Singing Earth; not the Aztec Dances cover shown in the video.  But speaking of "Aztec" or the Nahua ("the people"), in classical times they were known for their poetry--not necessarily human sacrifice.  A great deal of poetry written in the Nahuatl language survives and is often used in language courses for "Classical Aztec," or the Nahuatl spoken in the capital of Tenochtitlan.  Here is a link to Soundcloud where you can here one of these love poems in both Nahuatl and then in Spanish.

More About Today's Featured Video

This is a traditional song (canto) sung in the Nahuatl ("Aztec") language.  It is sung in a traditional "round" style (meaning it repeats).  The featured version is by Tonana (aka Claudia Martinez) of Mexico City, and can be found in the above pictured CD.  An alternative version can be heard below.  Nimiztlazotla is "I Love You" in the language, also mentioned over and over again is No Yollo or My Heart.  Enjoy.

More About The Video Of The Day

Robert Lopez AKA El Vez--The Mexican Elvis is a lot more than just an Elvis impersonator.  Hard to explain what he does with words--much easier to just listen.  He actually got his start in a punk band, The Zeros, as a guitar player; a band that had a member from the ultra-famed Escovedo clan (more about members of that family later).  The song featured here is from his 1994 parody of the famous Paul Simon album "Graceland" (obvious from the cover--also somewhat referencing conquistadors at the same time).  The song, which is hard to get out of your head once heard, is about the last Emperor of the Triple Alliance, better known as the Aztec Empire:  the much sung about, even to this day, Cuauhtemoc, whose name roughly translates in English to "descending eagle."

Dia de los Muertos All Souls Pumpkins

Aztec Muffins

Here is today's tribal recipe; and because today is Miccailhuitl Ce (Days of the Dead 1), that is to say All Saints Day, the recipe is coming from the Mexica/Nahua (Aztecatl).  This features the two main grain staples of the Aztec empire:  cornmeal and amaranth flour.  As the recipe mentions, if you can not find the Amaranth, the substitute whole wheat flour.  This comes from a curious little book written by Sonja Atkinson entitled The Aztec Way To Healthy Eating.

Aztec Muffins

1/2 cup sourdough starter

3 oz. warm water

14 cup cornmeal

1 1/4 cups amaranth or whole wheat flour

Pinch salt

1.  Mix the sourdough starter with the warm water.  Add all the other ingredients except for 1 tbsp of the cornmeal.  Turn with out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.  Roll out to a 3/8 inch thickness.  Let rest a few minutes.

2.  Use a 3 inch cookie cutter and cut out round muffins.  Sprinkle a cookie sheet with the some of the cornmeal and lay the muffins on that.  Sprinkle the tops with the rest of the cornmeal.  Cover with a clean cloth.  Let rise in a warm place for 6 minutes.

3.  Bake on a medium hot griddle or comal (you can use no-stick corn spray as needed to keep the muffins from sticking).  Turn after 5 minutes and then again after every 5 minutes.  Cook until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.  

This is Mictlantecuhtli:  Ruler of the Underworld

Atole (Atolli)

The word Atole as spelled in Mexican Spanish comes from the Nahuatl word Atolli, which is still used in that language; and "Atole" is basically pronounced the same way.  It is basically Aztec corn gruel or porridge, a cross between a soup and a beverage.  It is very comforting on cold winter days or nights!  While the recipe is very basic, this particular one comes from E. Barrie Kavasch's Enduring Harvest and is found in the section dedicated Dias de los Muertos, which are coming up next week, and in parts of Los Angeles and a few sacred sites in Mexico, have already begun.  She has that it can be made with yellow or blue cornmeal, but any good quality cornmeal of any color will work.  Pacqui Miccaihuitl!

ATOLE

5 cups warm water

1 cup fine yellow or blue cornmeal

1 tsp. salt

pinch of chamisa (Hopi word for cooking ash, its burn herbs, or use a pinch 

   baking soda)

1 tbsp. honey

1.  Dissolve the fine cornmeal in 1 cup warm water.  Bring the other 4 cups of water to a boil.  Gently add the wet cornmeal to the boiling water, stirring briskly until it thickens.  Add the salt, chamisa (or soda) and honey, stir well over lowered heat.  Simmer for 5 minutes.

2.  Serve hot or cool.  If you want a thinner drink, additional water or milk.  In addition to this being a very, very traditional recipe, it is also a sacred one, and one that is used as medicine--it is good for an upset stomach.  There are all sorts of variations on this, but that is best saved for another post.

Strange, But Seriously Indigenous Mexican Foods

Caradilla (Bull Balls) Tacos

Escamoles (Ant Eggs aka Caviar)

 Giant Water Boatman Eggs

Axolotl (now rare and no longer eaten)

More Ant Caviar

This is as traditional as you get in Mexico!  White Agave "Worms" fried and served with guacamole.  Completely 're-Columbian!!!!

Armadillo on the grill!

I love this stuff!  "Worm Salt"  Seriously, it is the coolest thing to put around a margarita glass.

Iguana Tacos

Spirulina

"Chocolate" Clams

Huitlacochtli aka Corn Fungus

Mexican Geoduck...they are clams in case you are wondering...