QUIEOGA: a MEXICAN MXINICIPIO — BRAND 



181 



cattle. Approximately 250 to 350 oxen, and 350 

 to 450 hogs are slaughtered annually. Practically 

 no calves are killed, and the comparatively few- 

 sheep and goats consumed in Quiroga are slaught- 

 ered in the ranchos. There are eight slaughterers 

 (matanceros, matarifes, matachines) who are hired 

 to kill, skin, clean, and dismember the animals. 

 Sometimes the man w-ho raised the animal will pay 

 all the ahasto charges and the wages of the matan- 

 cero, in which case he disposes of the hide to a 

 curtidor and sells the meats to the butchers. More 

 often one or more of the butchers will acquire title 

 to the live animal and take care of all expenses of 

 slaughter. A butchered ox normally yields a hide, 

 head, fom- "quarters," two sides (the thorax is 

 split down the backbone), tongue, heart, lungs, 

 liver, and (if a male) penis which is converted into 

 a whip or quirt. The stomach and occasionally 

 part of the intestines are cleaned and converted 

 into tripe {menudo, iripa). Normally no use is 

 made of the blood and intestines. After the 

 slaughtered animal has been dismembered and 

 the parts have been washed superficially at the 

 ahasto, the larger pieces are impaled on hooks in a 

 specially made saddletree on the back of a horse 

 and are thus conveyed to the butcher shops. There 

 are four butcher shops or carnicerlas, one in each 

 quarter of town, and there are four butchers 

 (carniceros, tablajeros). Since animals are not 

 slaughtered every day and meat is not always 

 available the butchers hang out a small red flag 

 whenever there is meat for sale. The meat moves 

 rapidly so there is little attempt made to protect 

 the meat either from flies or from heat. The 

 science of butchering is practicaUy nonexistent, 

 and the butcher whacks ofl' pieces at the request 

 of the customer with little concern for the grain 

 or for "cuts of meat" as they are known in the 

 United States. Pure flesh and fat with no bones 

 (jmlpa) and meat cut from the loin or chine {lomo) 

 sold in 1945 for $2.50 a kilo. When we fii-st did 

 field work in Mexico some 20 years ago one could 

 buy the best pulpa for 50fi a kilo. The other 

 miscellaneous meats (cocido) sold for $2 a kilo in 

 1945. Pork sold for $3 a kilo exceptmg for the 

 rib and backbone meats {espinazo) , which sold for 

 $1.80 a kilo. When mutton (camera) was avail- 

 able it sold for $2 a kUo. We did not see the killing 

 and preparing of hogs and sheep, but from the 

 pork that we ate it was evident that the technique 

 for removing bristles was not very effective. 



DRINKS AND CONFECTIONERY 



Tne next most important "food" industry is the 

 preparing of drinks, ices, sweetmeats, and candies. 

 The small-scale preparation of pulque has been 

 discussed previously. Until some time between 

 1918 and 1924 the manufacture of rum and mescal 

 was quite important. At present no alcoholic 

 beverages are made locally excepting a little 

 pulque. Rum and mescal are imported from 

 Uruapan, the tierra caliente of Michoacan and 

 Guerrero, and from Jalisco. Modern European 

 type beer has become quite popular in recent years, 

 and large quantities are imported (in bottles) 

 from Mexico City, as well as from some of the 

 other brewing centers in Guadalajara, Orizaba, 

 Monterrey, etc. The former mescal production, 

 although controUed by a resident of Quiroga, 

 came chiefly from the Hacienda Sanabria between 

 Tzintzimtzan and Patzcuaro. Dming the latter 

 part of the nineteenth century and up to the 

 Madero Revolution Quiroga was famous within 

 Michoacan for its aguardiente (rum) made from 

 browTi sugar piloncillo and from the sobron or 

 molasses residue left from the making of piloncillo. 

 These raw materials were brought to Quiroga 

 chiefly from the tierra caliente to the south. 

 Quiroga developed the aguardiente industry be- 

 cause of the reputation of the waters of some of 

 its springs. During much of the Porfirio Diaz 

 period there were two factories in Quiroga proper 

 (one in cuartel I, and one near the springs of La 

 Teporicua), one in Caringaro, and one in Sanambo. 

 Three of these factories have given rise to the 

 local place name La Fdbrica. At present there 

 are two small plants for making and bottling 

 carbonated flavored and sweetened drinks (re- 

 frescos, aguas gaseosas). The favored flavors are 

 lemon, lime, orange, peach, and strawberry in 

 approximately that order. There is a local Coca- 

 Cola concession, and this drink has gained some 

 cvuTency in Quiroga as it has throughout Mexico 

 during the last 15 or 20 years. There are several 

 women who prepare hot drinks for public sale on 

 street corners and m the plazas in the early morning 

 and at night. The most popular of these drinks 

 are thin sweetened and flavored gruels knowTi as 

 atoles, coffee, and chocolate. There are two shops 

 for making ice cream, sherbets, and other frozen 

 confections. These two neverias or paleterlas 

 are equipped with electric freezers. Their products 



