160 



INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 13 



CONDIMENTS AND SWEETS 



The Totonac cooking is highly seasoned. Chili 

 is used in many dishes and in quantity. Occa- 

 sionally, through miscalculation, the dose of chili 

 is too strong even for local taste. In that case, an 

 emergency atole is prepared by crumbling a 

 freshly made tortilla in a bit of water and the 

 liquid is drunk to relieve the discomfort. 



Chief dependence is upon the small, wild chili, 

 which is available, green or dry, throughout the 

 year, 82 and without which many meals are not 

 complete. Unfortunately, we have few concrete 

 data concerning chili consumption. However, 

 Bernabe Xochigua collected about half a fanega 

 (that is, 72 liters) of wild chili, of which he re- 

 tained a quarter part for the use of his family of 

 two adults and two half -grown children. Conse- 

 quently, we may say that this household places its 

 chili requirements at about 18 liters a year. The 

 family of Tirso Gonzalez, which comprises two 

 adults and five girls, ranging from infancy to 

 adolescence, consumes 1 almud, or about 12 liters 

 of wild chili annually. 



Here follow sauce recipes based on the small, 

 wild chili: 



Green chili. A few wild tomatoes are set to boil, and to 

 to them is added green chili, with the stems removed. The 

 tomato and chili are removed from the water and are 

 ground ; to the paste is added the liquid in which they 

 were boiled. This sauce is eaten chiefly with tortillas. 



Dry chili. Several wild tomatoes are boiled. The dry 

 chili is toasted on the fiat baking plate and then is ground 

 in a dry bowl. With a spoon, the tomato is fished out of 

 the hot water and is ground with the chili. The water 

 is added to the paste, to form a sauce which likewise is 

 served commonly with tortillas. 



Next in importance is the cultivated chili, which 

 is milder in flavor than is the wild form. It is 

 used principally in mole sauce, but also is made 

 into a sauce to be eaten with tortillas : 



Green chili. The chili is roasted on the coals, is skinned, 

 and is ground without removing the veins or the seeds. 

 A clove of garlic and a bit of salt are added. No water is 

 necessary, because the green chili contains a certain 

 amount of "juice." This sauce is eaten on tortillas, but 

 not with egg ; "it looks very poorly when served with egg." 



Dry chili. The seed is removed from the chili and the 

 latter toasted on the baking plate. It is dropped into 



82 Pin is the generic term for chili. The local wild form is 

 known as the sta^a'pln, when green ; as sawiwapin, when dry. 

 Similarly, the cultivated chili is called kalanqapin (thick chili) 

 when green, and tilfpin, when dry. 



boiling water and allowed to stand a short while until it 

 softens. It then is ground with a clove of garlic. The 

 resulting paste may be fried, or the water in which the 

 chili steeped is added. This sauce is eaten on tortilla or 

 on eggs. 



In addition to the local, cultivated chili, mole 

 sauce requires chile de color, a variety which is not 

 grown locally and which is available only through 

 purchase in Papantla. Still another chili, known 

 as pico de pdjaro, is used occasionally. It does not 

 grow well in Taj in, where there are only a few 

 plants ; it too is purchased, as needed. 



Coriander also is prominent in Tajin cookery 

 and is included generously in several dishes, 

 especially soups and stews. In season, it is used 

 green, but, at other times, the dry leaf and seed 

 are acceptable. A substitute, known as cilantro 

 extranjero (Eryngiwn, No. 276), is available 

 throughout the year. Goosefoot (epazote, Cheno- 

 podiwm, No. 75) imparts a pungent flavor to a 

 good many dishes, and shredded leaves (some- 

 times, the young stem) of acoyo bianco or acoyo 

 Colorado (Piper, Nos. 72, 184) often are added to 

 beans. Mint (hierbabuena) is surprisingly popu- 

 lar with meat dishes ; less frequently, the leaf of 

 the aromatic avocado (No. 248) or of the 

 pimienta (Pimenta, No. 30) is used as seasoning. 



Condiments are by no means restricted to native 

 plants, as witnessed by the coriander. Onions and 

 garlic also are important in Tajin cookery, but are 

 used with more restraint than is either chili or 

 coriander. Fennel (anis, Foenieulum, No. 88) is 

 another introduced plant which finds high favor. 

 In addition, commercial Old World spices, such 

 as cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns, are pur- 

 chased for special dishes. 



Although the Totonac are the gi*eat producers 

 of vanilla, they make virtuallj' no use of it; occa- 

 sionally, a few macerated pods are added to com- 

 mercial alcohol, to form an intoxicating drink. 



Salt is used extensively ; it is purchased in 

 Papantla or in the little stores in Tajin. 



Sweets are plentiful today, thanks to the intro- 

 duction of sugarcane. Both children and adults 

 chew the fresh cane with relish, and a brown sugar 

 produced locally from cane juice is used both in 

 cooking and to sweeten coffee. White sugar is little 

 used, but occasionally is purchased to make a 

 preserve or to sweeten rice gruel or lemonade. 

 Honey is a minor item in the diet nowadays. That 

 of the Old World bee is considered the tastier and 



