Hola!
In this issue we revisit the Day of the Dead - as it is revisited each year in Oaxaca. And with that we talk about chocolate and cheese; two important foods throughout the year, but especially during this season. So join us in our exploration and join us in Oaxaca this Fall for the Food of the Gods Festival or the Day of the Dead celebrations.
IN THIS ISSUE....
 |
|
|
Chocolate 101
|
|
The chocolate residue found in an ancient Maya pot suggests that Mayans were drinking chocolate 2,600 years ago, which is the earliest record of cacao use. The Aztecs associated chocolate with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility. It was an important luxury good throughout pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and cocoa beans were often used as currency. Christopher Columbus brought some cocoa beans to show Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, but it was Hernando Cortes who introduced it to Europe more broadly.
Full story....
|
Chocolate: The Lifeblood of a State
|
|
"To talk about chocolate in Mexico one must talk about Oaxaca," said Salvador Flores Concha, general manager and owner of Chocolates Mayordomo. "Chocolate accompanies us our entire lives," explained Enrique Chavez, whose family owns the company Chocolate La Soledad and a small hotel. "We celebrate birth, baptism, first communion, 15-year birthday parties, weddings - and even funerals - with chocolate," he added, smiling
Read on....
|
Say "Quesillo" and smile!
|
|
Oaxaca Cheese is a white, semi-hard cheese of Mexican origin, similar to un-aged Monterey jack. It is named after the state of Oaxaca, where it was first made. The production process is complicated and involves stretching the cheese into long ribbons and rolling it up like a ball of yarn. It is also known as quesillo. It is used in typical everyday foods, such as in quesadillas, which are tortillas with cheese and pumpkin flower or chicharrón.
Full story....
|
|
Day of the Dead 2006:
Beliefs and Customs |
 |
Rituals celebrating the lives of deceased ancestors had been performed by these Mesoamerican civilizations for at least 3,000 years. It was common practice to keep skulls as trophies and display them during rituals to symbolize death and rebirth. The festival which was to become Día de Muertos fell on the ninth month of the Aztec Solar Calendar, near the start of August, and was celebrated for the entire month.
Find Out More....
|
|
