INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 13 



139 



Of cultivated chili, 63 there is only one kind, de- 

 termined by Dr. Heiser, as "some form" of 

 Capsicum annuum L. ; when green, it is 

 known as chilchote; when dry, chilpoctli. One in- 

 formant recommends planting in November or 

 December; another suggest Kings' Day (January 

 6) or Candlemas (February 2). In any case, 6 

 months are required for the fruit to mature. If 

 there is room for a separate plot (chilar, ka ? pinin) 

 in the cornfield, the chili is planted by itself, in 

 rows. If not, it is inserted among the maize, 

 wherever there is a bit of room, although in this 

 the chili yield is less. 



Some, if not all, soak the seed before planting. 

 It is left overnight in a cup of water ; in the morn- 

 ing it is drained and is wrapped in a leaf (Nos. 

 3, 188), and the small bundle hung for 4 or 5 

 days. By the end of that time, it should sprout. 

 A hole for the germinated seed is punched with 

 the dibble — not more than 5 cm. deep, "other-wise 

 the seed will rot." Unlike bean seed, it is cov- 

 ered with soil. 



Chili apparently is considered rather "delicate" 

 to grow. Often the seed does not remain viable 

 for more than a year ; and once planted, it is sub- 

 ject to damage by crickets and arriera ants which 

 "do not leave it in peace." Moreover, it is highly 

 sensitive to "eclipse," and red rags are placed in 

 the field as protection against this hazard. Sev- 

 eral report having attempted unsuccessfully to 

 grow chili, and probably not more than half a 

 dozen raise it in sufficient quantity to sell, al- 

 though a good many families have a few plants 

 for personal use. 



At least three people in Taj in grow chili on a 

 sufficient scale to warrant having a special "oven" 

 to dry the fruit; one which we examined belongs 

 to Jose Maria Garcia, and may be described as 

 follows : 



On a low rise adjacent to his house, he apparently has 

 leveled a small area and into it has cut vertically a trench 

 whose opening at the surface is approximately 2 X 3 m. 

 However, all four walls are said to converge toward the 

 bottom, so that the profile looks like that of an inverted, 



" Other varieties of chili have been tried in Tajfn with little 

 success. One, known as pico de pdjaro (bird's beak), Dr. Heiser 

 and Dr. Paul Smith consider a form of 0. annuum. In Tajin, 

 "it does not grow well because the ground is hard ; it does better 

 in Espinal." Several have tried to grow chile ancho (broad chill). 

 For one planter, the bush was "very, very small." Another, 

 whose seed did not germinate, lays the blame on the traders from 

 the highlands who, she suspects, deliberately "sell the chili 

 already cooked." 



truncated pyramid. A short tunnel cut horizontally into 

 the slope of the hill connects with the floor of the trench, 

 and, through this tunnel, fire is maintained on the floor 

 of the main excavation. 



On the surface, along each end of the main trench, four 

 saplings are laid on the ground. They support a series of 

 split bamboos, running lengthwise, which at the same time 

 roof the trench and form a floor over it on which the 

 chili is spread to dry. A narrow pole is laid on top of 

 the series of bamboos, at each end, and an inverted forked 

 stick, driven securely into the ground, holds each end of 

 the terminal pole in place. The whole structure is topped 

 by a gabled palm roof, supported by a frame of forked 

 sticks. 



As the heat from the fire on the floor of the trench 

 rises, it warms the bamboo floor. Chili spread on it is 

 said to require about 8 days to dry, following which it 

 may be marketed in Papantla. 



OTHER CONDIMENTS; MEDICINAL PLANTS 



Apart from chili, several plants are cultivated 

 chiefly for use as condiments. They are enu- 

 merated below, in order of importance ; the goose- 

 foot presumably is native, the others, Old World. 



a. Coriander (cilantro, culantro; no native name). 

 Planted in the milpa on All Souls' Day or on the Day of 

 St. Andrew (November 30). Slight cavity made for the 

 seed, which then is covered "with very little earth, so it 

 will not rot." Once planted, it generally reseeds itself. 

 Green or dry, coriander is almost as indispensable to 

 Totonac cooking as is chili. 



Apparently another form of coriander is known as 

 cilantro extranjero (Eryngium foetidum L., No. 276). 

 Said to be available, presumably green, all year ; "it never 

 ends." 



b. Goosefoot (epazote, Chenopodium ambrosioides L., 

 No. 75), another popular condiment; also medicinal. 

 A few plants grown in the house clearing or in the maize 

 field. 



c. Fennel (anis, Foeniculum vulgare Mill, No. 88) ; 

 seen frequently, in small quantity, in the milpas. 



d. Mint (hierbabuena) ; cultivated as a condiment and 

 as a medicinal plant. 



In addition, several plants are grown primarily 

 for medicinal use. e-h generally are found in 

 house clearings ; the others, either there, or in the 

 maize field. 



e. 



f- 

 32) 



Bixa orellana L. (No. 78). 



Ginger (ajcngibre, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, 



No. 



g. Basil (albaliaca, Ocimum sp., No. 318). When not 

 available, a related form (Ocimum micranthum Willd., 

 No. 319) is substituted. 



h. Rue (ruda, Ruta graveolcns L., No. 317). 



i. Mustard (mostaza, Brassica nigra (L.) Koch, No. 

 102). 



