Skeletons, painted faces and lots of sweet treats. Must be Día de los Muertos – Day of the Dead!
Day of the Dead is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and some parts of Latin America that honours and commemorates death. The festivities unfold over two days in an explosion of colour and life-affirming joy. Sure, the theme is death, but the point is to demonstrate love and respect for deceased family members. It combines indigenous rituals with the Catholic Holidays of All Souls and All Saints Day. It is also believed that the spirits of the day are allowed to visit their families on October 31st and leave on November 2nd. Candles and flowers line the cemetery and streets to guide loved ones to their homes. During that time, families and friends prepare food, make altars and decorate gravestones to pay respect to the deceased. Parades are held and children eat candies to celebrate the lives once lived. There are more than one tradition and custom associated with this event!
One of the principal customs of the longstanding celebration is the construction of Altars.Built at home, the families decorate the altar themed with orange and purple colours, further piling them up with offerings like candles, flowers and personal possessions of the ones who left the earth. In many communities such as Pátzcuaro, these altars are also constructed right at the graveside of deceased. The house is thoroughly cleaned before setting up the altar for the very important ‘visitors.’
Some people misunderstand the significance of the ofrendas (offerings), as they believe ofrendas are actually set up to worship the dead. However, it is in fact to remember and honour the memory of their ancestors. The ofrenda is laid on the table, further covered with a white cloth, later papel picado is placed on top. A candle is lit for every deceased relative to guide them back home and listen to the prayers of their loved ones. On November 1 (Día de los Inocentes), deceased children are offered toys and sweets. Whereas on November 2 is for the deceased adults, therefore offerings like alcohol, cigarettes and football shirts, etc are placed as well.
Mexican Marigolds, or flowers in general, also represent the fragility of life. It is believed that the spirits of the dead visit the living during the celebration. There are many reasons that these vibrant blooms are so heavily used in the annual celebration. Marigolds guide the spirits to their altars using their vibrant colours and pungent scent. They’re also known as the ‘flower of the dead,’ despite being such a bright and cheery bloom. If you visit Mexico or heavily populated neighbourhood with people of Mexican descent during the celebration, you’ll witness marigolds spread around, not only in elaborate doorway arches and garlands, but adorning the graves of loved ones too. Some families even stock up on marigolds to decorate the ofrenda in the home, honouring their family members. Apart from that, many people even make their own marigolds for the celebration, whereas a few craft flower crowns for the occasion.
Finally, there’s the Catrina Parade! La Catrina was created by the Mexican illustrator-artist Jose Guadalupe Posada, who died in 1913 but has been an influence on many Latin American artists and cartoonists because the satirical acuteness and political engagement of his work. The Catrinas parade is an annual event commemorating the Day of the Dead by locals and visitors. La Calavera Catrina, or Dapper Skeleton, is the most representative image of the Day of the Dead, an indigenous festivity that celebrates ancestors and includes many humorous or pretty portrayals of skeletons. Even though this custom more or less only applies to Mexico City, other locations hold their own less grand version of the parade as well. Every year a number of individuals represent Catrinas through their dressings and walk down zocalo to be a part of the grand Catrina Parade. Those attending, paint their faces Catrina skull style, further highlighting their eyes and cheeks with colourful accents, with clothes most suitable and relatable for the occasion.
In his book The Labyrinth of Solitude, Mexican author Octavio Paz, who won the 1990 Nobel Prize in literature, wrote: "The Mexican is familiar with death, jokes with it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates it."
The famoso Guelaguetza fiesta dated back to hundreds of years ago is held every July, in Oaxaca (WA-HA-KA)! But the locals call it “Los Lunes del Cerro” meaning Mondays on the Hill. And the best part is we celebrate duo Mondays in a row!
Like most Mexican holidays, this festival is all about dancing, singing and playing music! During our Monday fiestas, you will see nothing but hermosa colours and constant movement! As seven different regions come together in the capital city of Oaxaca, they distinguish their whereabouts by wearing colours representing their region… With bells and colourful ribbons on their costumes, they R.S.V.P like ‘I’ll be there with bells on’ jajaja!
Besides the folkloric dancing and beats, their fiestas are never complete without food! Each region makes their speciality, and as you may already know, their favorito mole (MO-LAY) sauces are added to dishes! Additionally, during this rainy season, they pay homage to Centeotl – The Aztec Goddess of Maize (Corn)! Si amigos – We amor corn so much we have a queen of corn we bow down to!
Another highlight of this event is the location! The celebration takes place on a hill – with a spectacular view of the city. This is also where all the performances take place and at the end of each performance, the dancer throw gifts into the crowd. Now that’s what you call a party! During this fiesta, you can expect to see the senoras in their traditional dresses with baskets full of flowers on their heads, large walking puppets and fireworks for the perfecto ending to a fiesta!
Located in Mexico’s Mezquital Valley, Las Grutas Tolantongo, or the Tolantongo caves will put your local pool to shame. Located in Hidalgo, the hot springs look out over the picturesque canyons. The pools are flowing with hot, naturally mineral-infused water. They stay heated year-round by the surrounding volcanic mountains. Other than the relaxing pools, there are also caves and a tunnel that you can explore if you want to spice things up, a hot spring river to swim in, and a kid-friendly pool with a waterslide!
British writer, Edward James became captivated by the vast beauty of the landscape of “Las Pozas” (The Wells). In the 1940s he created a beautiful home for himself, which includes a unique sculptural space unlike anything across Mexico. Full of columns with capitals that resemble like giant flowers, gothic style arches, large gates, pavilions and spiral staircases that end suddenly in mid-air, this garden opened up for surrealist architecture. Truly one of Mexico’s most underrated spots to visit.
Located between Sabancuy and Ciudad del Carmen, Isla Aguada presents 5 miles of picture-perfect oceans and white sandy beaches. This spot allows for a day of fun and relaxation, without being bothered by street vendors like you would usually be in larger cities and tourist centres. By the main street, there is a jetty that runs 4km with a boat dock, and even a playground. Most days you will often see fishermen walking up and down in search of dolphins that ‘belong’ to their beaches natural habitat.
*Isla Aguada has no banks or ATMs so make sure you bring plenty of money (just in case!)*
Paracho de Verduzco is a small city located in Michoacán, Mexico. Paracho was made for the music lovers out there. Does it sound or look familiar? You might recognise this city from the Oscar film, Coco! The town is packed with music stores that sell handmade stringed instruments. Some of the common instruments that can be found in Paracho are ten-string mandolins, armadillo-backed guitars, and mandolins, and acoustic bass guitars, as well as regular classical guitars and mandolins, bajo sextos, vihuelas, guitarrones and many others. Keep an eye out as you’re wandering through stores, as many of the store owners allow visitors to watch in on the instrument making process. If you time it right, in the second week of August A national festival “Feria de La Guitarra” is held in Paracho once a year. Lasting nine days having its culture, gastronomic and traditions displayed for everyone to enjoy. From its traditional “Pan” to its famous guitars, Paracho is rich in culture and traditions.
Supposedly one of the most haunted places in Mexico, and even the world, Isla de las Munecas is not for the faint-hearted. The Island of the Dolls (Isla de las Munecas) is located in the canals south of Mexico City. As the name suggests, it is the current home of hundreds of terrifying, mutilated dolls. The severed limbs and heads of the dolls cover every inch of the island. The story behind the island is that of a man named Don Julian. Julian simply believed the island was haunted by the spirit of a little girl that had drowned there. The only way he believed he could calm her spirit was by hanging out dolls to make her happy. The dolls are spooky enough during the day, but are even more harrowing at night.
We all know that if a tortilla is not handled properly, tacos will come out cold or break apart, this is something that no one enjoys. Below are some key tips on how to handle your tortillas and your tacos for an optimum experience:
– Storing your leftover tortillas. To maintain the best moisture levels and your tortillas in the freshest state possible, they need to be stored in the fridge or the freezer, wrapped in a cotton tea towel, then inside a plastic bag.
– Keeping your tortillas warm. To maintain your tortillas steaming and be able to put warm tacos on the table, heat both sides of your tortillas on a hotplate until soft. Store ALL the tortillas that you are plating, wrapped in a cotton tea towel, inside a plastic container or a tortilla warmer. Store for 10-20 min; this allows for your tortillas to steam the heat inside of them and will last warm for longer.
– Using the right side. Quality corn tortillas have two sides. (The stomach and the back). The back is a thicker and softer layer, and the stomach is a thin and smoother layer. The rugged/thinner side has more imperfections and it is the correct side to put your fillings and get the most resistance out of your tortillas.
– The correct amount of filling. If you cannot close your taco, it just means that it has too much filling and it most probably collapses while eating! Below is an example of how the customer should be able to roll their tacos:
– Using your hands. It is common for the “Taquero” to prepare the tacos inside their hands and not on the plate. This is done in order to hold the steam of the tortilla with your hand and keep the taco warm for longer.
– Rolling your tacos. At the end of the taco journey, it is all about how you hold your taco while eating. Here are some good examples. As you can see it is all about rolling your tortilla, using your fingers at the top and the bottom, tilting your head and using your pinkie for balance!
We all know about MasterChef Australia, an Australian competitive cooking game show produced by Shine Australia and screens on Network 10.
Last week we were very thrilled to see our El Cielo product, Arbol Dried Chilli, being used by some of the greatest chefs in Australia and were honoured to be a part of the show for the 4th time. Our chilli is one of the most authentic and finest quality Mexican produce and we take pride in sourcing them with other produce and ingredients directly from Mexico, offering a personalised service for restaurants and retailers seeking authentic gourmet Mexican flavours. We are sure using them heightened the authentic nature of the delicacies prepared!
El Cielo is a Melbourne based Tortilleria, offering fresh nixtamal corn tortillas. You can relish our gluten free products as well, with certified Australian Grown nixtamalized corn. Do browse through our online store for many more fresh Mexican produce inclusive of natural gourmet salsas too, now used by the experts in the field.
We look forward to giving you the best Mexican experience!
Here at El Cielo our mission is to offer the True Taste of Mexico. As the first Tortilleria in Melbourne we worked hard over the years to make sure that we bring you products that complement this mission and ensure that you get nothing but the best. We have partnered up Ki Gourmet, an artisanal producer of sauces in Mexico City for that exact purpose.
Ki Gourmet is committed to making the best and most authentic Mexican foods possible and ensuring that the traditional methods, the high quality ingredients and the flavours endure. This entails that they us no additives, no artificial flavours, colours or anything that does not belong in the foods we consume.
We have eight different types from the range of Ki Gourmet currently. Over the next couple months we will be presenting you each and every one of them here on our website and recommending them ways to use them with recipes and tips.
First up is Maria Bonita, a Tamarind & Chipotle sauce. Ki Gourmet has named their sauces after various historic figures in Mexico and South America. Maria Bonita was the nickname of Maria Déia, she was a member of the Cangaco band, a band of outlaws and marauders in Brazil in the 20’s and 30’s. To this day she enjoys the status of a folk heroine in Brazil. Her nickname in English means beautiful Maria. As with most outlaws that lived in the fringes not many facts are known but there are anecdotes that herself and other women in the band moderated the excess of cruelty and often intervened on behalf of the victims threatened by the band. Apparently, she was in a relationship the leader of the band, Lampião. Apparently, the duo was Brazil’s Bonnie and Clyde.
The sauce is an amazing combination of Tamarind and Chipotle. It may come as a surprise to some to find Tamarind in a Mexican salsa, yet Tamarind is omnipresent in Mexico. It is mainly grown in Jalisco, Guerrero, Colima, Chiapas and Veracruz, it is used in many foods, candies (Pulparindo is one of the most popular candies made out of Tamarind) and even water. In Michoacan it is used to flavour “atole”, a corn beverage. Tamarind salsa is used widely in Guerero as it lies by the Pacific Ocean and its abundance of seafood. Tamarind is not native to Mexico, the tree was imported by the Spanish and the Portuguese in the 16th century from the Philippines most likely and as with so many of the ingredients Mexicans adapted it into their cuisine. It has a sweet sour flavour and combined with the smokiness of the chipotle we have Bonnie and Clyde.
As with any of the Ki Gourmet sauces it is a very versatile sauce that can be used straight up on top of fish or shrimp tacos. It pairs very well with chicken as well and not only tacos. Your favourite chicken pieces in pan and once nicely caramelised pour the sauce and let it simmer till the meat is done, serve on a bed of rice and you have got yourself a dish full of flavour, Mexican flavour that is. It is especially good and potentially addictive (you have been warned) as a glaze and a sauce for grilled meats with its sweetness that balances the tartness of the tamarind and the addition of chipotle that ads smokiness and a bit of a kick, to make it all a mouth watering bonanza deliciosa.
Ki Gourmet sauces are 100% natural, they do not contain any preservatives, they are gluten free, they do not contain any trans fats, they are vegetarian and above all artisanal products of love and passion.
Use code "Bonita" for a 15% discount on your purchase, either for the 380gr or the 1kg, valid through June 19th, 2020.
Recipe
Grilled Tamarind Shrimp/Chicken
*Preparation*
Makes 4 servings
The people of ancient Mexico ate many foods that were unknown to Europeans in the 1500s. These foods are still an important part of the Mexican diet. Among them are corn, tomatoes, squash, avocados and many varieties of beans and peppers. Another food that ancient Mexicans gave to the world was chocolate, which had a very special meaning to the Mayas, Aztecs, and other Indian civilizations. Cacao beans - from which chocolate is made - were sometimes used as money. A bitter drink made from the beans was considered sacred and was reserved only for priests and rulers. Chocolate sweetened with sugar is popular all over the world, but the people of Mexico have a special fondness for it.
Of all the foods native to Mexico, corn is the most popular and most important, in modern times as well as in the past. The corn tortilla — a kind of thin, flat pancake — accompanies almost all Mexican meals, either as bread or as part of the main dish. A versatile food, the tortilla can be toasted or fried, rolled or folded, stuffed with meats or vegetables, or topped with rich sauces. Many modern Mexican cooks make their tortillas from a specially prepared dough called masa, or they buy them every day from tortillerías, stores that sell freshly made tortillas. In some rural areas, however, tortillas are still made in the age-old way. Kernels of dried corn are cooked in lime water until soft and then are ground by hand with the mano and metate, stone grinding implements used for centuries by the Indians of Mexico. Pieces of the soft corn dough are shaped and flattened by hand until they are just the right thickness. Then they are cooked over an open fire on a clay or metal griddle called a comal. Tortillas made by this method are delicious, but the process takes a great deal of time. It is not surprising that modern Mexican cooks use shortcuts in preparing this important food.
Another native food essential to Mexican cooking is the chile, or pepper. Relatives of the familiar bell pepper, Mexican chiles come in many sizes, colors, and flavors. Some are more than twelve inches long, while others are no bigger than a dried bean. When they are young, chiles are usually various shades of green and yellow. When they become ripe, most of them turn bright red or orange. Many chiles have a sweet, mild flavor, but some are so hot that they make your eyes water just to smell them. These fabulous peppers have beautiful names such as jalapeño, poblano, and serrano. They give a special flavor to a great variety of Mexican dishes.
Mexican cooking also depends on many ingredients that are not native to the country but were brought from Europe by the early Spanish settlers. Beef, chicken, and pork are European contributions to the Mexican table. The only domestic animals used for food by the Aztecs and other Indians were wild turkeys and small, fat wild dogs. Rice and wheat also arrived with the European settlers, as did spices such as cinnamon and cloves. Because of their European heritage, modern Mexicans enjoy apples and peaches in addition to the papayas, mangoes, and other tropical fruits known to their Indian ancestors.
Source: Easy Menu Ethnic Cookbooks by Rosa Coronado - Cooking the Mexican Way
Have you thought about visiting Mexico? Do you love the Mexican Culture? ... Then Easter is the time for you to visit!
As a largely Roman Catholic nation, Mexico celebrates Easter over a multi-week extravaganza. Traditionally, the Easter season begins with Carnival which is the festival that leads up to Lent — a 40-day religious observance that represents the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness.
Throughout Lent many people give up a lot — such as food — and Carnival therefore is all about rich living and rich eating. If you’re lucky enough to be in Mexico in late February to early March, you’ll enjoy street festivals, colourful costumes, parades and lots of dancing.
Once Carnival ends, the first day of Lent commences — Ash Wednesday. This day is a Christian holiday reserved for prayer, fasting and remorse. Christians will spend their day in church where priests mark their forehead with a cross from ashes to remind them of their mortality — most Mexicans will leave this on their head all day.
Celebrations really get going at the commencement of Palm Sunday which is held exactly one week before Easter and is the official start of Holy Week. On this day Mexicans commemorate Jesus on his famed entry into Jerusalem and decorate churches with palms to represent how Jesus was welcomed – people spread palms before him.
Holy Thursday is in honour of Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples. The following day is Good Friday which commemorates the day of Christ’s crucifixion. The streets will often be closed as silent parades fill the street to display a re-creation of Jesus in his crown of thorns carrying the cross.
The joyous celebrations begin on Easter Sunday with Christ’s resurrection. Churches are filled with people and happy songs, followed by a blissful celebration in the streets. Unlike other countries and cultures many celebrations end with Easter Sunday, however not in Mexico. ‘Semana de Pascua’ is the week that follows where most businesses are closed, and families take time off for a little break and relaxation (we don’t blame them … what a big couple of weeks).
… And just like that the Easter celebrations are complete for another year. We can certainly say that experiencing a Mexican Easter in our lifetime is on our bucket list!
