Oaxaca

On the Rocks

/ Organikos / Leave a comment
Chinatec elders prepare stone soup the traditional way, by the Papaloapan River. PHOTO: SARAH BOREALIS

Chinatec elders prepare stone soup the traditional way, by the Papaloapan River. PHOTO: SARAH BOREALIS

National Geographic’s The Plate explores the “global relationship between what we eat and why, at the intersection of science, technology, history, culture and the environment”. The latest in its daily discussion on food is the preparation of  real stone soup in Oaxaca, Mexico.

The soup originated in a remote ritual site in the Papaloapan River basin, about 12 hours by car from Oaxaca City, in the highlands of the Sierra Madre mountain range. The geography there is very rocky, and in the Pre-Ceramic [period,] Chinantec ancestors developed an elemental way to cook their food using fire and stone. The ritual site features large boulders excavated to serve as large cooking pots, and I guess you might say that the rest is history! The recipe for stone soup features local ingredients and really is a product of this unique environment.

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Pepper Terroir

/ Amie Inman / 5 Comments

Chili.  Chili Pepper.  Capsicum.  Multiple monikers for a simple fruit in the nightshade family that has successfully colonized all cultures around the globe.

Chili Peppers and garlic at the Ernakulum Market, Cochin

This new world crop was part of the so called “Columbian Exchange”, using those newly opened passages to cross oceans and then continents.   Both the Spanish and the Portuguese had interests and influence across Asia and India, and these fiery fruits were quickly incorporated into local cuisine.

Chili Peppers (whole and ground) at Yangnyeong Market, Seoul

Oaxaca, Mexico has been a culinary mecca for decades and the chili has played an enormous role.  A market excursion wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the chili stalls.  As I’ve written in previous posts, this form of “shopping” goes way beyond simple provisioning.  It’s a both lifestyle and a lifeline to a different time…

Mark Bittman is referring to a particular terroir in his article.  But using an anthropomorphic conceit I’ll ask readers to consider the concept of “slow food” as a citizen of Pangaea.