There are a zillion different kinds of soup in the world and every culture claims to be the origin of one particular variety. Russia stakes its claim in borscht, the US region of New England declares clam chowder is their creation, and of course we all know Miso soup as being Japanese. So let's take a look at the soups Mexico has concocted.
Menudo is probably the most famous soup to come out of Latin America, and not just because it happens to share a name with an 80's pop band. This soups is a very traditional dish in Mexico, particularly with family gatherings. The ingredients list begins with beef stomach, red chili paste, lime, onion, cilantro, oregano and chopped chili peppers. There is a lot of preparation involved with making Menudo, and a lot of ingredients. The tripe is very tough and requires hours of boiling, sometimes overnight. To ease the workload and the expense, families will often delegate an ingredient to each household in the family. On the day of the celebration everyone will come together and share a big batch of Menudo!
Pozole is a corn based soup that dates back to at least 1500 AD. It's origins appear to have been ritually significant with the Aztec culture. They believed the gods made people out of cornmeal dough, so when there was a special occasion coming up a human sacrifice took place. After the sacrifice the body was chopped up, cooked with the maize and shared among the everyone. Consumption of pozole was a sort of communion for the purpose of celebrating the sanctity of maize and the gods gifts to the people. When the Spanish conquered the Aztec and Mayan civilizations they abolished cannibalism, thus pork was substituted in pozole because it had a similar taste. Today pozole is a popular dish in restaurants in the Jalisco state of Mexico, as well as in Texas.
Mexico has coasts on the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California. It is therefore understandable that seafood is a large part of the traditional cuisine. Caldo de siete mares (seven seas soup) is basically a fish stew but with a Mexican flair. It usually contains chicken, tomato, any kind of fish, chilies and cheese all in a diluted broth. Similarly is caldo de pollo, a chicken vegetable soup that uses a whole chicken rather than deboned parts. Vegetables are cut in large pieces, such as potato halves, whole leaves of cabbage, celery, carrots, corn on the cob, cilantro, garlic, onion and lemon juice. Caldo de pollo is sometime served over rice or with hot corn tortillas.
It is true that nations around the world have made their mark on particular dishes, and even though the meal in question may seem similar to someone in another country, it still bears the mark of the endemic culture. It is Mexico's entire history that makes their cuisine so distinct. Sure the Spanish made a massive impact, but there are still very strong elements of Mayan and Aztec culture in Mexican cuisine as it is today.
Menudo is probably the most famous soup to come out of Latin America, and not just because it happens to share a name with an 80's pop band. This soups is a very traditional dish in Mexico, particularly with family gatherings. The ingredients list begins with beef stomach, red chili paste, lime, onion, cilantro, oregano and chopped chili peppers. There is a lot of preparation involved with making Menudo, and a lot of ingredients. The tripe is very tough and requires hours of boiling, sometimes overnight. To ease the workload and the expense, families will often delegate an ingredient to each household in the family. On the day of the celebration everyone will come together and share a big batch of Menudo!
Pozole is a corn based soup that dates back to at least 1500 AD. It's origins appear to have been ritually significant with the Aztec culture. They believed the gods made people out of cornmeal dough, so when there was a special occasion coming up a human sacrifice took place. After the sacrifice the body was chopped up, cooked with the maize and shared among the everyone. Consumption of pozole was a sort of communion for the purpose of celebrating the sanctity of maize and the gods gifts to the people. When the Spanish conquered the Aztec and Mayan civilizations they abolished cannibalism, thus pork was substituted in pozole because it had a similar taste. Today pozole is a popular dish in restaurants in the Jalisco state of Mexico, as well as in Texas.
Mexico has coasts on the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California. It is therefore understandable that seafood is a large part of the traditional cuisine. Caldo de siete mares (seven seas soup) is basically a fish stew but with a Mexican flair. It usually contains chicken, tomato, any kind of fish, chilies and cheese all in a diluted broth. Similarly is caldo de pollo, a chicken vegetable soup that uses a whole chicken rather than deboned parts. Vegetables are cut in large pieces, such as potato halves, whole leaves of cabbage, celery, carrots, corn on the cob, cilantro, garlic, onion and lemon juice. Caldo de pollo is sometime served over rice or with hot corn tortillas.
It is true that nations around the world have made their mark on particular dishes, and even though the meal in question may seem similar to someone in another country, it still bears the mark of the endemic culture. It is Mexico's entire history that makes their cuisine so distinct. Sure the Spanish made a massive impact, but there are still very strong elements of Mayan and Aztec culture in Mexican cuisine as it is today.
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