Some days ago, we had the occasion to visit the
Museum of Art and Indigenous Industries in
Patzcuaro, located just a couple blocks from
Hotel Mansión Iturbe.We
wanted to see “
Sweetcorn in the
Purépecha Region: Food, Religion, and Work.”
It’s
an interesting exposition that shows the
history of sweetcorn – a plant of tremendous importance that is a part of our
civilization, and a history that goes back nine thousand years.
The show, presented in a very entertaining manner, was
a series of graphics, photographs, and
objects
made with sweetcorn.
We learned that certain soil types are necessary for a
successful crop; that there are
different varieties of sweetcorn in the region,
and perhaps most interesting of all, the wide diversity of dishes that can be
prepared using this plant.
Sweetcorn was the main element of the
prehispanic Purépecha kitchenfor
untold generations.It was used to
become the
traditional Michoacan
comestibles:tortillas, pozole,
atole, corundas, and uchepos. Pasta de …