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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY PUBLICATION NO. 6 



to which brown sugar sirup and salt are added. 

 It is then placed in the sun to rise and sub- 

 sequently boiled. These tamales have a light 

 consistency almost like that of rolls. The similar 

 tamal de trigo ("wheat tamale") is made from 

 wheat ground on a metate and mixed with white 

 maize atole and brown sugar sirup. This dough 

 is wrapped in husks of black maize whose 

 purplish color is imparted to the cooked prod- 

 uct. These tamales are also placed in the sun 

 to rise before boiling. 



The tamal de zarzamora ("blackberry ta- 

 male") is made of blackberry atole boiled to 

 the thickness of cornstarch pudding, to which 

 brown sugar is added. It is wrapped in husks 

 and boiled. 



ATOLE 



A number of thick boiled drinks, most of 

 them made of maize, are known by this term. 

 The basic process consists in taking masa, the 

 dough made from nixtamal, mixing it with 

 water, and boiling it to a thin gruel of about 

 the consisency of a milk shake. After mixing 

 the dough with water it is strained through a 

 sieve consisting of fine black cheesecloth stretch- 

 ed over a drumlike circular wooden frame 10 

 to 15 cm. wide and nearly as high. The most 

 common kind of atole is bianco ("white") made 

 with white maize to which no flavoring is ad- 

 ded. It is eaten, often between meals, as a com- 

 plementary dish to mescal, the sweet, oven-roast- 

 ed maguey heart which is the main delicacy 

 through the spring months. A common sight 

 during this period is to find the members of a 

 family seated or standing in their patio with 

 tobacco-juice-like stains running from the corn- 

 ers of their mouths, trails left by the juicy 

 brown mescal, which, like mangoes and roasting 

 ears, can never be eaten gracefully. A confirm- 

 ed atole and mescal eater takes a bite of mescal, 

 chews it slightly to release the juice, and then 

 takes a drink of atole which picks up the sweet- 

 ness on the way down. The remaining fibrous 

 mass of mescal is spat on the ground before the 

 next mouthful. 



Atole de grano is ordinary white atole to 

 which are added grains of sweet corn and a 

 touch of ground anicillo and peron chile. Atole 

 de zarzamora ("blackberry atole") is made 

 with red or black maize flavored with ground 



blackberries to which brown sugar has been ad- 

 ded. Atole de cdscara ("husk atole") is made 

 with toasted and ground cacao bean husks to 

 which brown sugar is added. Atole de pinole is 

 made with maize or wheat. The grains are toast- 

 ed on a griddle, ground, mixed with water 

 sweetened with brown sugar, and boiled. Atole 

 de leche ("milk atole") is made of flour boiled 

 in water to which milk, cinnamon, and brown 

 sugar are added. Atole de tamarindo ("tama- 

 rind atole") is made with a wheat base to which 

 ground tamarinds and brown sugar are add- 

 ed as flavoring. Atole de arroz ("rice atole") is 

 more properly a pudding. Wliole grains are 

 boiled in milk to which cinnamon and brown 

 sugar have been added. 



OTHER FOODS 



Eggs are eaten both as a dish in themselves, 

 or as a base for a variety of other foods. A 

 fried egg often is served on a plate of beans 

 which, with tortillas, constitutes a very satis- 

 factory meal. Eggs may be made into a torta, 

 a sort of omelette, to which boiled beans may 

 be added. Yema consists of an egg beaten up 

 in milk; it is often drunk for breakfast. Torrez- 

 nos are beaten eggs mixed with ground rice, 

 shrimp, or other fish, formed into small cakes 

 and fried in deep fat. Boiled potatoes, cut in 

 small pieces and fried in an egg batter, may be 

 used in a form of torrezno. Ajiaco is the word 

 to describe a number of combination dishes in 

 which the common element is the cooking in 

 deep fat of food to which a beaten egg and a 

 sauce of onion and tomato is added. Ajiaco de 

 nopal is made with fried nopales, the tender, 

 despined leaves of the prickly pear cactus. Ajia- 

 co de longaniza is made with sausage and po- 

 tatoes. 



Nopales are a favorite dish during Lent. The 

 tender pencas, the paddle-shaped leaves, are cut, 

 the spines scraped off", and chopped into small 

 pieces to be boiled with salt. Next they are 

 fried in lard to which has been added ground 

 onion and tomato. The taste is suggestive of 

 string beans, but the consistency is more gelatin- 

 ous. Nopales are also cooked en pipidn. Squash 

 seeds are toasted and ground, and mixed with 

 a little toasted and ground red maize. Ground 

 red chile and garlic are added, mixed with water 



