POZOLE

One of the quintessential Mexican dishes, this highly traditional dish is mostly consumed in large quantities, especially in September, the month when we celebrate our independence; and, interestingly, it has its origins from the pre-conquest era, with a relatively somber history.

This dish, so famous for being one of the go-to remedies for heartache (or a hangover), is made with cacahuazintle corn (also known as pozole corn), meat (traditionally pork), and both fresh and dried chilies, depending on the variety of pozole being made. It is accompanied by lettuce, radish, oregano, and spices, depending on the region.

However, this dish was made differently in the Mexica era. Back then, it was made with only boiled corn in a giant pot, to which only human meat was added as the protein... yes, human meat.

This dish was part of rituals offered to the god Xipe Totec, the god of fertility and war; war prisoners were mostly sacrificed in a ceremony where consuming the deceased was a form of revitalization, in which the consumer appropriated their energy and the "original energy" that sustains the universe. It's no wonder this dish was reserved for the highest social strata of the time, led by the emperor, known as the tlatoani.

It is said that in those times, some war prisoners volunteered to be sacrificed, as they preferred to die with pride rather than be used in various ways by the Mexica once captured in battle. After being sacrificed (offering their heart to the specific god) and cooked, the meat was distributed among the high ranks and the relatives of the captor, reserving the thigh for the tlatoani, as it was considered the most precious piece.

With the arrival of the Spanish in the New World, this dish underwent a radical change, and pork was added, a characteristic ingredient of Spanish cuisine at that time. This change had profound historical and cultural implications (such as evangelization), in addition to the addition of spices and onion.

Today, pozole has gradually evolved into the traditional dish we know, expanding the range of possibilities and variations depending on the region where it is prepared. Currently, we have white pozole, red pozole (to which ground ancho and guajillo chilies are added), green pozole (prepared with green tomato and/or poblano chili), and seafood pozole (usually prepared in Colima, Jalisco, and Nayarit).

This dish is known, prepared, and consumed throughout Mexico, and has become one of the most characteristic dishes of the country, associated with our national holidays and our identity as mexicans. If you ever have the chance to visit Mexico in September, you cannot miss trying this delicacy which, despite its bloody origins, is delicious... and if you go with someone else, you now have an incredible story to tell and break the ice.