Mexico - The big words

Mexicans don't eat corn, they WORSHIP it... for 7000 years

credit: Grok

The Aztec gods: “What are we going to create Man with? Clay? No, too fragile. Mud? Too dirty. A rib? Seriously…

Okay, we'll make him with corn dough, it's more malleable.”

And there you have it, Man was born: 60% tortilla, 40% religion.

credit: Grok

But masa (dough made from ground corn) doesn't just magically appear! To transform corn into edible gold, there's nixtamalization—a big word for an ancient technique dating back to the time when the Mayans were creating inventions far more ingenious than our phones.

To nixtamalize, the kernels are soaked and cooked in water with added lime or ash. This removes the tough outer skin, facilitates the absorption of niacin, adds calcium, and, most importantly, gives tortillas their perfect texture and divine taste. Without nixtamalization, tortillas are just soggy cardboard. With it... they're a taste of paradise.

But corn yields much more than just kernels. If you're lucky, a microscopic fungus infects the ear, resulting in huitlacoche—another big word. It's a bizarre fungus that transforms the kernel into a bumpy, gray mass. In Canada, you'd think it was a disease and throw everything away. In Mexico, it's a luxury delicacy, the "Mexican truffle"! Earthy, smoky, with a hint of woody tatse. It's used in quesadillas, tacos, soups… It's rare, it's expensive, it's divine. The Aztecs said it was a gift from the gods. Try it once, and you'll understand.

All of this happens in the milpa, the latest big word, the coolest and most eco-friendly agricultural system there is, created by the Mayans or... the Iroquois, who call it "The Three Sisters" because each plant helps the other two reach their full potential.

No monoculture that kills the soil: you plant corn, which acts as a support for the beans, which fix nitrogen like a natural fertilizer, and finally, squash, which creeps along the ground, retains moisture, and suppresses weeds. No chemical fertilizers, no pesticides, just symbiosis and respect for the nourishing earth.

Credit: Britannica.com

When it comes to corn, Mexico is particularly blessed.

* White corn → the classic, reliable one, like that buddy who always replies to your texts, no messing around

* Blue or red corn → the chic intellectual who makes tortillas that are all the rage on Instagram, oh, how cute!

* Black corn → the goth, full of antioxidants, super intense

* Pod corn → the shy one, each kernel has its own little windbreaker and it only unwraps itself when you encourage it.

Forgive me, Quetzalcoatl, Feathered Serpent God who created humankind. I was young and innocent and believed that only Quebec sweetcorn was worth talking about. I promise to make it up to you with real nixtamalized tortillas and huitlacoches in my next quesadilla.

credit: Grok