While in Mexico City I was told to try a new dish: Pozole. I have since fallen in love with this warm and delicious soup. Pozole has an interesting history to go along with its interesting flavor.
This soup has pre-hispanic origins, dating back to at least the 14th century. It has a corn base known as tlacatlaolli, or “man shelled corn”. This was considered quite a delicacy and the dish was reserved for people of the upper class and during festivals. The most important piece of the soup was the protein, traditionally: human leg meat!!! Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on the ethics of you, my dear reader, when the spanish arrived the put a stop to that and changed the meat to pork or chicken.
In case you are interested in trying this ancient delicacy, here is a recipe:
- 400 grams of precooked maiz pozolero
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 6 tomatillo
- 1 chile serrano
- 1 cup of cilantro
- 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds
- 2.5 liters of water
- 1/4 of a white onion
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- avocado, limes, and salsa for serving
- Wash the maiz well until the water runs transparent. Cook in a generous amount of water until bursting, about 50-70 min. Drain and put aside.
- Bring the 2.5 liters of water to boil. Add the chicken and cook on medium heat until cooked through and able to be pulled apart easily, about 15-25 min.
- Blend the tomatillos, garlic, onion, cilantro, salt, cumin, oregano, and pumpkin seeds with 1 cup of water until a smooth consistency. Pass through a colander and cook in a pan without oil for about 5-10 min or until the color changes.
- Remove chicken from the water and pull apart. Add the maiz, the sauce from the pan, and season to taste.
- Cook for about 20 min until the flavors develop and serve with radishes, dried oregano, lime, and avocados.
Note: if you want to make it spicier save the seed from the colander and blend with lime and as much chile as you want, depending on spice preferences.
Provecho!!
This soup has pre-hispanic origins, dating back to at least the 14th century. It has a corn base known as tlacatlaolli, or “man shelled corn”. This was considered quite a delicacy and the dish was reserved for people of the upper class and during festivals. The most important piece of the soup was the protein, traditionally: human leg meat!!! Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on the ethics of you, my dear reader, when the spanish arrived the put a stop to that and changed the meat to pork or chicken. All Rights Reserved 2024 Theme: Fairy by arabuloku