THE TAJIN TOTONAC PART 1 — KELLY AND PALERM 



169 



OILS AND FATS 



On the score of oils and fats, the Totonac are 

 pretty well provided. Avocados are abundant, 

 during season, but are eaten with restraint (p. 

 161) . Other oil-producing plants include the seed 

 of the squash (Cacurbita argyrospervm Hort., 

 pp. 136-137, 161), of the physic nut (Jatropha, 

 No. 192) , and of the perennial cotton (Gossypium, 

 Nos. 8, 9). Oil of the coyol palm (probably 

 Aerocomia, No. 362) is used so rarely as to be neg- 

 ligible. Introduced plants — principally the ses- 

 ame, but to a lesser degree, the castor bean {Rici- 

 nus, No. 249) — likewise are exploited for kitchen 

 oils. Moreover, a good many families are suffi- 

 ciently prosperous, at least following the sale of 

 their vanilla and brown sugar, to be in a position 

 to purchase hog lard. 



MINERALS AND VITAMINS 



On the basis of published analyses of foods from 

 several parts of Mexico and from Honduras, we 

 may guess, in a general way, some of the minerals 

 and vitamins supplied by Totonac diet. The 

 guesses are no more than that, because, with two 

 exceptions, analyses have not been made of specific 

 food plants from Tajin. Even when a published 

 assay refers to the same species as are found locally, 

 there is little assurance that the same plant, grown 

 in coastal Veracruz, has the same food value that 

 it has when grown elsewhere. Moreover, rela- 

 tively few analyzed plants are of the species found 

 in Tajin, and it is extremely hazardous to assume 

 that several plants share the same qualities simply 

 because they belong to the same genus. 91 



There is little doubt that the Totonac are abun- 

 dantly provided with calcium. Their drinking 

 water apparently is heavily impregnated with 

 lime, and they are further supplied through the 

 tortilla 92 and other maize dishes based on 



el As a matter of fact, not only does nutritive value vary from 

 one species to another, but even the same species, grown in dif- 

 ferent places, may be quite distinct in assay value. For example, 

 two samples of chayote, listed as the same species, come respec- 

 tively from Morelos and Veracruz ; but the latter proves to con- 

 tain almost four times as much calcium as does the former 

 (Cravioto et al., table 1). A more extreme case is provided by 

 the hog plum. Two specimens, declared to be the same species, 

 come, one from Guerrero, the other from the Federal District (pur- 

 chased, not grown, there). The former contains 15 times as 

 much iron as does the latter (Cravioto and Miranda, Nos. 106, 

 110). 



n Harris (p. 975) points out that "the Mexican has achieved 

 an adequate calcium intake, for the average daily consumption 

 of 280 gm. of tortilla furnishes more than 500 mg. of calcium in 



nixtamal. 93 In short, despite the virtual want of 

 dairy products, calcium intake appears to be more 

 than sufficient. 



Phosphorus is provided by the tortilla, beans, 

 and dry chili ; by sesame and squash seed, whose oil 

 is used frequently, if on small scale; and among 

 little-used foods, by the pigeon pea and Leucaena. 04 

 The monotonous function of goosefoot (Cheno po- 

 dium, No. 75) as seasoning may be all to the good, 

 for this plant appears to be useful for calcium and 

 phosphorus metabolism (Cravioto et al., p. 325) . 



The Totonac may be deficient in iron. Egg is 

 rich in this mineral ; the tortilla apparently pro- 

 vides a small amount, as do beans and dry chili; 

 occasional minor sources are pigeon pea, Crota- 

 laria, and Leucaena. 05 For an increase in iron 

 intake, the Crotalaria perhaps offers the best pos- 

 sibilities. It appears likely that coriander, a 

 favorite Totonac condiment, contains considerable 

 manganese (Cravioto et al., p. 326). 



Of vitamins, carotene (pro-vitamin A) un- 

 doubtedly is derived from chili, the wild tomato, 96 

 and coriander. It is possible that local cheno- 

 podium and amaranths may also contain some 

 carotene. 97 A potential local source of apparent 

 importance is Crotalaria, now little exploited. Al- 

 though leaves of the sweetpotato and manioc 



available form." It will be remembered that the Totonac maize 

 consumption (chiefly in the form of dishes based on nixtamal) is 

 about twice that of the general average for Mexico. 



03 Moreover, it seems likely that other local foods will prove 

 to have a high calcium content, for example: goosefoot (Cheno- 

 podium, No. 75) and sesame (Cravioto et al., tables 1, 3). And 

 the same holds for relatively little-used foods, such as Crotalaria 

 (No. 91) (Cravioto and Miranda, No. 47) and Leucaena (Nos. 

 38, 196a) (Cravioto et al., table 3). 



91 Tortilla (Anderson et al., p. 1130); beans and dry chili 

 (Cravioto et al., tables 3, 4) ; sesame and squash seed (Cravioto 

 et al., table 3) : pigeon pea (Cajanus, No. 95) (Cravioto and 

 Miranda, No. 211 ; Munsell et al., table 2) : Leucaena (Nos. 38, 

 196a) (Cravioto et al., table 3 ; Cravioto and Miranda, Nos. 212- 

 214). 



85 Beans (Cravioto et al., table 3) ; chili (No. 214) (Cravioto et 

 al., table 4) ; pigeon pea (Cajanus, No. 95) (Cravioto and 

 Miranda, No. 211 ; evidently variable : cf. Munsell et al., table 

 2) ; Crotalaria (No. 91) (Cravioto and Miranda, No. 47) ; Leu- 

 caena (Nos. 38. 196a) (Cravioto et al., table 3; but variable; cf. 

 Cravioto and Miranda, Nos. 212-214). 



One Spondias tested high In iron ; others were negligible (cf. 

 Cravioto and Miranda, Nos. 106, 107, 110). 



00 Two samples of the local wild chili (No. 214) wore tested 

 at the Instituto Nacional de Nutriologia. through the kind offices 

 of the Rockefeller Foundation. Our relatively dry sample, pre- 

 sumably including both flesh and seed, ran 1.37 mg. of carotene 

 per 100 gm. Our sample of fresh, wild tomato (No. 24) yielded 

 3.88 mg. 



97 Chili (Harris, p. 975) ; coriander (Cravioto et al.. table 1: 

 Cravioto and Miranda, No. 28) ; chenopodium (No. 75) (Cravioto 

 and Miranda, Nos. 67, 68, 89; Cravioto et al., table 2); 

 amaranths (Nos. 104, 105) (Cravioto and Miranda, No. 88; 

 Cravioto et al., table 1). 





