Mexico Cooks!

The Web of Tradition: Textile Making in Mexico

Twenty to thirty thousand years ago, early humans developed the first string by twisting together handfuls of plant fibers. Preparing thin bundles of plant material and stretching them out while twisting them together produced a fine string or thread. The ability to produce string and thread was the starting place for the development of spinning, weaving, and sewing. All three of those indigenous textile making traditions are still strong in today's Mexico.

Today we'll take a look at the weaving of the Huicholes in the states of Jalisco and Nayarit and the Zapotec in Oaxaca.

The fundamental aspects of hand weaving have remained unchanged for millennia. Webster defines a loom as "a frame or machine for interweaving yarn or threads into a fabric, the operation being performed by laying lengthwise a series called the warp and weaving in across this other threads called the weft, woof, or filling." Another definition, quite to the point, states: "A loom is the framework across which threads are stretched for the weaving of cloth."

When the backstrap loom was developed, it was easy to transport and simple to construct. One end of the loom was attached to a fixed point, like a tree trunk, and the other was a rod, which was held in place with a cord that passed around the waist of the weaver. By leaning back against the waist cord, the weaver could put tension on the warp threads and adjust tautness at will. The backstrap loom is still used today by Native Americans in the southwestern part of the United States and by people in Central America and Mexico. The complexity of the work that can be created on this loom is limited only by the skill of the weaver, and the entire loom with the weaving in progress can be rolled up at any time and carried from place to place.

In the culture of Mesoamerica (the region extending south and east from central Mexico to include parts of Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua), clothing fabrics were quite diverse. In arid locations, plants such as yucca, agave cactus, and palm fibers were used for weaving. Where the climate permitted, cotton was the chosen fiber. Cotton was grown in Mexico as early as 3000 B.C. Although cotton did not grow in the region of the Aztec empire, the Aztecs obtained cotton from the peoples they conquered. At that time, only certain social classes were allowed to wear cotton clothing. Rabbit fur and feathers from exotic birds decorated luxurious clothing, while bark paper clothing was used for some ceremonial vestments. The clothing of lower social classes was made of much rougher fibers.

In the entire Mesoamerican region, women worked using a backstrap loom, and then sometimes embroidered fabrics and applied shells, precious stones, and silver and gold ornaments to the fabrics they wove. In the south of Mexico, women made weavings using ornamental stitches or, among the Mayans, decorated with thin braided ropes. In the northern parts of Mesoamerica, floor looms were used.

Fabrics woven in these ways were of the highest importance in early Mexican life. At times, fabrics were used as money. Each culture of Mesoamerica had deities who watched over those women who spun thread, those who wove, and those who embroidered. At birth, a baby girl was symbolically initiated into the work of weaving, and upon her death, a woman was buried with the textile tools that she had used all through her life. Textile making was considered to be much more than a technique. It was a sacred gift bestowed on women by the gods.

Conquest by the Spanish and the continuing presence of the conquistadores changed the panorama of textiles in Mexico. During the time of colonization, new techniques of weaving, materials, designs and forms of dress arrived in the New World. Silks, wools, and the pedal loom needed to weave them were introduced. In addition, the Spanish brought a strong textile influence from Asia and Egypt.

The richness, variety and liveliness of Mexican weaving are in large part derived from the fusion of these influences. Traditional Mexican indigenous clothing represents the union of the people, proud of their geographic and cultural origins.

The indigenous people we meet most often in Guadalajara are the Huichol. They use art, including weaving, for much more than decoration or economic gain. In the February-March 2005 New Life Journal, author Lisa Lichtig writes, "For women, the loom is the violin. Woven bags come in various sizes and colors and are used for carrying everything from food to sacred offerings. Each, however, is made with special woven designs that are signatures from the heart and the dreams of the weaver.

"In the process of learning to weave, the apprentice makes miniature weavings as offerings to the gods. When a girl leaves her offering, she may take one of the offerings left for that same god by another girl or woman. She takes the borrowed offering home and copies the design, and then returns the borrowed piece and leaves another one that she herself has made. This practice has been a means by which designs were distributed among Huichol women."

When the Spanish came to the New World, they brought sheep, previously unknown to the indigenous peoples of Mexico. The Huichol quickly learned to shear, card, spin, and weave wool. They used native vegetable and mineral dyes to create the vibrant colors so crucial to their designs. Today, as the Huichol herd fewer and fewer sheep, acrylics have largely replaced wool in Huichol work. Very few weavers still know how to make and use the old dyes.

The indigenous Zapotec are native to the state of Oaxaca, far to the south of Mexico. Many Zapotec are extraordinary rug weavers. The most famous Zapotec rug weaving center is Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, a remote mountain village that has become well known everywhere in the world due to the traditional fine weaving done there. Despite the ten-hour drive to Teotitlán del Valle from Mexico City, the world shows up on the doorsteps of the Zapotec weavers. Rugs from the village are sold all over Mexico as well as in the United States and other countries.

Before the arrival of the Spanish and their sheep, the Zapotecos had been cultivating and weaving cotton for several thousand years. Like the Huicholes, the Zapotecos quickly learned to card, spin, dye, and weave wool. They have used traditional vegetable and mineral dyes for centuries, although aniline (artificial) dyes came into use about 30 years ago.

The secrets of the natural dyes are jealously guarded. They are extracted from a range of plant mineral and insect sources: indigo blue from the jiquilete plant, green from malachite copper, and the rich red hues of the red from the world famous cochineal beetle on the nopal cactus. Dyes are hand-ground and hand mixed. Many weavers have begun using artificial dyes due to the difficulty and expense of creating dyes with flowers, herbs, insects, and other natural materials.

 

Buyer's Note: Ask your rug dealer which dyes his weavers use. Discerning buyers or collectors insist on natural dyes. Be aware that if a dealer claims to use only natural dyes and the price of a rug you like seems too good to be true, his claim is probably not true.

The Zapotec weavers of Teotitlán wove on traditional backstrap looms until the Dominican missionaries introduced harness looms in the 16th Century. Today, some Zapotec weavers like to create modern carpet designs based on the art of Diego Rivera, Pablo Picasso, or Max Escher. Others disagree. One weaver said, "Those are beautiful designs, but those designs are created by painters. I am a weaver, and my rugs are the traditional designs of my people."

We're privileged to have fine Zapotec rugs available in Guadalajara every day of the week. All of the rugs are made in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca. These wool rugs, if properly cared for, will last a lifetime whether you use them on your floors or hang them on your walls.

Landmarks and Monuments in Guadalajara

Those of us from the United States and Canada can recognize many of the historical landmarks and buildings in our native countries. We know by sight the Parliament buildings in Ottawa and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Even when we think of important historical tributes in foreign countries the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the Parthenon in Athens, the ancient pyramids of Egypt pop instantly into our minds. These are cultural icons that cross international barriers.

Here in Mexico, most of the historical monuments and landmarks are less well known to foreign travelers. Even Mexican history is fuzzy and confusing for most of us. When we're first living the expatriate life here, it seems that every other holiday on the calendar is an Independence Day of some sort. The reasons for frequent patriotic parades escape us and the flowery language on commemorative plaques can be baffling, even if we're fluent in reading Spanish.

Here's a nutshell tour complete with photos of some of the more prominent sites and monuments in Guadalajara.

When I first visited Guadalajara in the early 1980s, I could not imagine what the blue logo on the trunks of taxicabs could be. It looked like a line drawing of a Batman-ish cap with pointy ears. Finally one day it dawned on me that the logo was really the dome and spires of the Metropolitan Cathedral. Shaped like inverted ice cream cones and tiled in pale yellow, the design of the spires, legend has it, came from a mid-19th Century bishop's dinner platter. Although the cornerstone for the Cathedral was laid in 1561, these beautiful spires were built to replace the originals, one of which fell to the ground in a strong earthquake in 1818. The spires contain sixteen bells, the oldest of which dates to 1661 and the newest from 1877.

Catedral Metropolitana de Guadalajara

The Cathedral has eleven altars and 30 Doric columns. There is a crypt below the main altar in which the remains of several bishops and cardinals are buried. In the sacristy there is a painting of the Immaculate Conception by Spanish master Murillo. On the facade of the Cathedral is an enormous plaque which reads in Spanish, 'If the Lord does not build the house, the laborers work in vain.'

The Cathedral is located on the southeast corner of Avenida 16 de Septiembre and Calle Hidalgo in the Centro Histórico.

La Rotonda de Hombres Ilustres
The Rotonda de Hombres Ilustres (Circle of Illustrious Men) commemorates nearly 100 prominent and influential people who were born in the state of Jalisco. The Rotonda was built in 1952. It is composed of 17 striated columns without bases or capitals; these form a circular enclosure. The cremated remains buried in the enclosure include those of scientists, writers, artists, and educators, each of whom made Guadalajara a better place to live. In the year 2000, the remains of educator Irene Robledo, the first woman given this honor, were transferred to the Rotonda. Nineteen of the honored dead are represented by larger than life size bronze statues which surround the lovely green park of the Rotonda. On any Sunday—the day for family outings in Mexico—you will see Mexican parents proudly showing their children the details of the statues and their identifying plaques.

The Rotonda de Hombres Ilustres is located on the northeast corner of Avenida 16 de Septiembre and Calle Hidalgo in the Centro Histórico.

Teatro Degollado

The Teatro Degollado is not technically a monument, but it is certainly one of the more monumental structures in Guadalajara and is a major draw for tourists. The graceful Neoclassical architecture of the building and the Grecian frieze depicting Apollo and the Nine Muses along the top of the theater's front combine in a classic piece of architecture. Along the theater's back wall, a historical bronze frieze depicts the founders of Guadalajara. Each colorful Sunday morning presentation of the University of Guadalajara's Ballet Folclórico attract hordes of tourists visiting the city from everywhere in the world.

Construction of the theater began in 1855 and the doors opened in 1866. It is named for a former governor of the state of Jalisco, Santos Degollado, whose remains are interred in the Rotonda de Hombres Ilustres. The theater's opening production was Donizetti's opera Lucia de Lammermoor, starring the "Mexican Nightingale", Angela Peralta. The theater, which seats more than 1000, has recently undergone major interior restoration to retain its original glory.

Teatro Degollado is located on Calle Belén between Calles Hidalgo and Morelos.

La Casa de los Perros
Just past the Cathedral on Avenida Alcalde you will see the Casa de los Perros, a huge house decorated with cantera (carved rock) and stained glass windows. Two enormous stone sculptures of dogs stand guard on the roof. The first printer's shop in the city was located on this spot. Before the existing house was built, a print shop here published The American Alarm, which is considered to be the first independent newspaper in the Americas. Aside from its other architectural details, on either side of the top of the house you will see the much larger than life size sculptures of pointer dogs. These were brought to Guadalajara in the 19th Century from the J. L. Mott Ironworks in New York.

The house was opened as the museum of Guadalajara newspapers in 1994. The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM and Sundays 10 AM to 3 PM.

The museum is located at Alcalde #225 in the Historic Center.

Plaza de Armas

The lovely and picturesque Plaza de Armas is surrounded by a series of important buildings including the Palace of Government and the Templo Metropolitano del Sagrario, built between 1808 and 1843. Central to the Plaza is the Art Nouveau wrought iron froth of the kiosco (bandstand), which was imported in 1909 by the French residents of Guadalajara as a gift from France. The bandstand roof is supported by eight caryatids (female figures nude from the waist up) which represent different musical instruments. When they were first installed, the nudes created a terrible scandal among proper turn-of-the-century tapatíos (residents of Guadalajara). The roof itself is formed of fine woods, which give special acoustic resonance to the bandstand. Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday afternoons there are special public concerts in the kiosco, performed by the state or municipal bands.

The Plaza de Armas is located at the corner of 16 de Septiembre and Calle Morelos.

El Monumento a los Niños Héroes
The Monumento a los Niños Héroes (Monument to the Boy Heroes) commemorates the 1847 battle between the United States and Mexico at Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City. Chapultepec Castle was a military school and home; it was unable to withstand the battle waged by the U.S. forces.

During the course of the fighting, in which Mexico was defeated, one general and six young cadets lost their lives in defense of their country. Legend has it that when just one cadet remained, he wrapped himself with the Mexican flag and leaped from the tower to protect the flag from capture.

At the top of the monument is a feminine sculpture which represents Mexico. She wears a long tunic and holds a garland between her hands. At her feet is the national symbol of Mexico: the eagle, standing on a cactus and devouring a serpent.

At the bottom of the monument are statues of the child heroes who gave their lives for Mexico. The inscription in brass letters reads, "They Died for their Country." Each of the boys' names is inscribed in gold.

The monument is located in the glorieta where Avenida Niños Héroes and Avenida Chapultepec intersect.

Beatriz Hernández

At one side of the Plaza de los Fundadores (Founders' Plaza) behind the Teatro Degollado, the statue of Beatriz Hernández commemorates a woman who lives in the hearts of all Tapatíos. Most know her as the foundress of Guadalajara. Legend has it that she was a woman of strong and decisive character. One day, when the Spanish were indecisive about where exactly the new city should be founded, Beatriz Hernández asked to speak and counseled them that it should be in the Valle de Atemajac—just east of the area that today we call the historic center of Guadalajara. The statue in her memory is more than six feet high, a size as heroic as her personality.

El Monumento a la Independencia

Just south of the Historic Center on Calzada Independencia is one of the most beautiful public sculptures of Guadalajara. The Monument to Independence was built in 1910 as a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of Mexico's independence and abolition of slavery. The monument consists of an octagonal base made of pink cantera (carved stone) and a cantera column with a study of Hidalgo, the father of independence, carved in white marble. Hidalgo is addressing his oppressed children who are beginning to rise up in the fight for liberty. The column features other white marble statues. One represents history (a woman with a book); another represents the national epic of Mexico (a woman with a long trumpet). At the top of the column is the angel of independence.

The Monument to Independence is located on Calzada Independencia at the point where it crosses Calle Corona.

I've saved three of my favorite Guadalajara monuments for the last. Each of them is near my house and I get to see all three nearly every day.

La Estampida

La Estampida (The Stampede) was designed and created by sculptor Jorge de la Peña. The horses are bronze and represent a group of horses in full gallop. Every detail of each horse is filled with dynamic action, power, and intense emotion.

La Estampida is located on Avenida López Mateos Sur at the glorieta (traffic circle or roundabout) called the Jícamas.

Glorieta and Fuente Minerva

The goddess Minerva, representing justice, wisdom, and strength, is one of the most famous symbols of Guadalajara. The fountain is in the center of a huge lawn-covered glorieta. The enormous bronze statue has at its feet the motto in Spanish, "Justice, Wisdom, and Strength, Custodian of this Loyal City". At the back is written in Spanish, "To the Glory of Guadalajara".

The names of eighteen illustrious Guadalajarans are engraved on the pedestal. The Minerva is the largest fountain in Guadalajara. Water erupts from the pedestal in a mist which offers an incredible scene to passersby and which can occasionally spray water onto motorists waiting to cross the glorieta. The statue was conceived by Pedro Medina and sculpted in Aguascalientes to be brought to Guadalajara and installed. The entire project was conceived by Agustín Yáñez, governor of the state of Jalisco from 1953 to 1959, to pay tribute to Guadalajara.

Arcos de Minerva

Built in 1942, the Minerva Arches commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Guadalajara. They welcomed travelers at that time, when the location was the point of convergence of the important highways from Mexico City, Tepic, and Barra de Navidad.

The Arches are similar in design to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The motto on one side reads, "Hospitable Guadalajara" and on the other side, "A Wonderful Stay is the Guarantee of Your Return". The Guadalajara coat of arms, granted by King Carlos V of Spain, is featured on either side. The city Office of Tourism has been located in the arches since 1959. In the offices are permanent exhibits of Guadalajara memorabilia. Upstairs there is a vantage point where tourists can enjoy incredible views of the city. The monument is as well-recognized as a symbol of the city as the steeples of the Cathedral.

And the Band Played On...Mexico and Its Music

Trio Los Panchos, from the 1950s.  They're still playing today and everyone of every age in Mexico knows all the words to all the songs they've sung since their beginning.  You can hear them here: Los Panchos 

A few nights ago some friends and I were having dinner at a local restaurant. A wonderful trio (lead guitar, second guitar, and bass) played a broad selection of Mexico's favorite tunes while we enjoyed our food and conversation. From the table behind us, a woman's voice rang out in English, "Boy, these mariachis are really good."

Her comment, one I've heard over and over again, made me think about the many varieties of Mexican music. Not all Mexican music is mariachi, although many people assume that it is.

It's just as incorrect to classify all Mexican music as mariachi as it is to classify all music from the United States as jazz. Mariachi has its traditions, its place, and its beauties, but there are many other styles of Mexican music to enjoy.

Ranchera, norteña, trio, bolero, banda, huasteco, huapango, trova, danzón, vals, cumbia, jarocho, salsa, son--€”the list could go on and on. While many styles of music are featured in specific areas, others, like norteña, banda, ranchera, and bolero, are heard everywhere in Mexico. Let's take a look at just a few of the most popular styles of music heard in present-day Mexico.

Norteña
Música norteña (northern music) will set your feet a-tapping and will remind you of a jolly polka. Norteña had its beginnings along the Texas-Mexico border. It owes its unique quality to the instrument at its heart, the accordion. The accordion was introduced into either far southeastern Texas or the far north of Mexico by immigrants from Germany, Czechoslovakia, or Poland. No one knows for sure who brought the accordion, but by the 1950s this rollicking music had become one of the far and away favorite music styles of Mexico.

A norteña group of musicians playing a set of trap drums, a stand-up bass, and the accordion produces an instantly recognizable and completely infectious sound. The songs have a clean, spare accordion treble and a staccato effect from the drum, while the bass pounds out the deep bottom line of the music.

Norteña is popular everywhere in Mexico. Here in Guadalajara, conjuntos norteños (bands) often play as itinerant musicians. These are the musicians who are often hired to play serenades in the wee hours of Mother's Day morning, who play under the window of a romantic young man's girl friend while she peeps from behind the curtain, and who wander through restaurantes campestres (country-style restaurants) all over Mexico to play a song or two for hire at your table.

The undisputed king of música norteña is Ramón Ayala. Over the past 30 years he has recorded an amazing 75 albums. His current group, Los Bravos del Norte, is heard everywhere, €”on every radio station and every jukebox. The group is widely imitated but never superseded. Ayala turns out well-crafted and balanced music, featuring lyrics with universally understood human themes. The songs, like the majority of norteñas, are about tragedy, loneliness, broken relationships, almost unbearable longing and pain, and about experiencing love in all its complicated nuances.  You can listen to Ramón Ayala and sus Bravos del Norte: Ramón Ayala

Banda de Viento and Banda
Banda de viento and banda are similar musical styles: both have a military legacy. Each has moved in its own direction to provide different types of entertainment.

In Zacatecas, the state banda de viento plays concerts day and night.

Banda de viento (wind band, or brass band) originated in Mexico in the middle 1800s during the reign of Emperor Maximilian and Empress Carlota. Later, Presidents Benito Juárez and Porfirio Dí­az commissioned the creation of brass bands in their home state, Oaxaca, in imitation of the brass bands that entertained at the Emperor's court.

The huge upsurge of popularity of brass bands in Mexico came in the early 20th Century. After the Mexican revolution, local authorities formed "Sunday bands" made up of military musicians who played in municipalities' plaza bandstands all over Mexico.

The Banda del Estado de Zacatecas (Zacatecas State Band) plays: Marcha de Zacatecas (Zacatecas March)

There are regional differences in banda de viento style, but you can still take a Sunday stroll around many rural Mexican plazas as the tuba oompahs the bass part, the trumpets blare, squeaky clarinets take the lead, and the tamborazo (percussion) keeps the beat. The Sunday municipal band concert no longer exists in some large cities (although you can hear weekly concerts in both Guadalajara and Zapopan), but something new has taken its place: banda.

Banda music, which exploded onto the Mexican music scene in the 1990s, is a direct outgrowth of the municipal bands of Mexico. Banda is one of the most popular styles of dance music among Mexican young people. In small towns, we're often treated to a banda group playing for a weekend dance on the plaza or at a salón de eventos (events pavilion) in the center of the village. The music is inevitably loud, with a strong bass beat. You'll hear any number of rhythms, from traditional to those taken from foreign music. It's almost rock and roll. It's almost--€”well, it's almost a lot of styles, but it's pure banda.

Few expatriates go to these dances and that's a shame, because it's great fun to go and watch the kids dance. You might want to take earplugs; the banks of speakers can be enormous and powerful.

The dancing will amaze you. Children, teenagers, and adults of all ages dance in styles ranging from old fuddy-duddy to la quebradita. La quebradita is a semi-scandalous style of dance which involves the man wrapping his arms completely around the woman while he puts his right leg between her two as they alternate feet and twirl around the dance floor. Complete with lots of dipping and other strenuous moves, la quebradita is a dance that's at once athletic and extremely sexual.

Bolero
In the United States and Canada, it's very common for those of us who are older to swoon over what we know as the 'standards'. Deep Purple, Red Sails in the Sunset, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, and almost anything by Ol' Blue Eyes can take us right back to our youthful romances. Most of us can dance and sing along with every note and word.

Here in Mexico, it's the same for folks of every age. The romantic songs from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s are known as boleros. The theme of the bolero is love--€”happy love, unhappy love, unrequited love, indifference, €”but always love. I think just about everyone has heard the classic Bésame Mucho, a bolero written by Guadalajara native Consuelo Velásquez. This timeless favorite has been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and The Beatles, among countless other interpreters of romance.

Here's Luis Miguel, one of Mexico's modern interpreters of bolero, singing Sabor a Mi:  Luis Miguel 

Armando Manzanero, born in 1935 in Mérida, Mexico, is one of the most famous writers of bolero. His more than 400 songs have been translated into numerous languages. More than 50 of his songs have gained international recognition. Remember Perry Como singing It's Impossible? The original song €”by Armando Manzanero €”is called Somos Novios.

Crowds memorialize Pedro Infante, one of Mexico's greatest stars.

Agustí­n Lara was another of Mexico's prolific songwriters. Before Lara died in 1973, he wrote more than 700 romantic songs. Some of those were translated into English and sung by North of the Border favorites Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and yes, even Elvis Presley. The most famous of his songs to be translated into English included You Belong to My Heart (originally Solamente Una Vez), Be Mine Tonight (originally Noche de Ronda), and The Nearness of You.

Ranchera
The dramatic ranchera (country music), which emerged during the Mexican Revolution, is considered by many to be the country's quintessential popular music genre. Sung to different beats, including the waltz and the bolero, its lyrics traditionally celebrate rural life, talk about unrequited love and tell of the struggles of Mexico's Everyman.

Ana Gabriel is today's reigning queen of música ranchera.  Listen to her sing one of her all-time great songs: Y Aquí Estoy  

Ranchera finds its inspiration in the traditional music that accompanies folkloric dancing in Mexico. Its form is romantic and its lyrics almost always tell a story, the kind of story we're used to in old-time country music in the United States: she stole my heart, she stole my truck, I wish I'd never met her, but I sure do love that gal. Pedro Infante, Mexico's most prolific male film star, is strongly associated with the ranchera style of Mexican music. One of the original singing cowboys, Infante's films continue to be re-issued both on tape and on DVD and his popularity in Mexico is as strong as it was in his heyday, the 1940s. Infante, who died in an airplane accident in 1957 when he was not quite forty, continues to be revered and is an enormous influence on Mexican popular culture.

Ranchera continues to be an overwhelmingly emotional favorite today; at any concert, most fans are able to sing along with every song. This marvelous music is truly the representation of the soul of Mexico, the symbol of a nation.

Ana Gabriel is the queen, but Vicente Fernández is the king of ranchera. Listen to him sing one of his classics: Por Tu Maldito Amor 

Vicente Fernández, whose ranch, huge restaurant, and large charro-goods store are located between the Guadalajara airport and Lake Chapala, is the current reigning king of ranchera--€”indeed, he is considered to be the King of Mexico.

Mariachi
Mariachi really is the music that most folks think of when they think of Mexico's music. Mariachi originated here, it's most famous here, and it's most loved here. The love of mariachi has spread all over the world as non-Mexicans hear its joyous (and sometimes tragic) sounds. At this year's Encuentro Internacional del Mariachi (International Mariachi Festival) in Guadalajara, mariachis from France, Czechoslovakia, Canada, Switzerland and the United States (among others) played along with their Mexican counterparts.

In the complete mariachi group today there are six to eight violins, two or three trumpets and a guitar, all standard European instruments. There is also a higher-pitched, round-backed guitar called the vihuela, which, when strummed in the traditional manner gives the mariachi its typical rhythmic vitality. You'll also see a deep-voiced guitar called the guitarrón which serves as the bass of the ensemble. Sometimes you'll see a Mexican folk harp, which usually doubles the base line but also ornaments the melody. While these three instruments have European origins, in their present form they are strictly Mexican.

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán is the most famous mariachi in the world.  Every year in Guadalajara they honor us with their presence at the Encuentro Internacional de Mariachi.  If you'll be in the city August 31 through September 9, 2007, plan to attend one of the nightly Galas de Mariachi at the Teatro Degollado.  It's an unforgettable experience.  Listen to them now: Entra en mi Vida 

The combined sound of these instruments makes the music unique. Like the serape (a type of long, brightly striped shawl worn mainly by Mexican men) in which widely contrasting colors are woven side by side--€”green and orange, red, yellow and blue--the mariachi use sharply contrasting sounds: the sweet sounds of the violins against the brilliance of the trumpets, and the deep sound of the guitarrón against the crisp, high voice of the vihuela; and the frequent shifting between syncopation and on-beat rhythm. The resulting sound is the heart and soul of Mexico.

Next time you go to your local music store, look on the racks of CDs for some of the artists and styles of Mexican music I've mentioned. You may be quite surprised to see how popular the different styles are in the United States and Canada. As the population of countries North of the Border becomes more Mexican, the many sounds of Mexican music follow the fans. Next thing you know, you'll be dancing la quebradita.    

A Taste of Summer: Fresh Raspberries and Strawberries

 

Right about now, bounty from South of the Border is available on your supermarket shelves. Fresh red raspberries and strawberries, grown just an hour south of Guadalajara on the shores of Lake Chapala, will give you the sweet taste of Mexico's sun and warmth.

When you go to your local super market, take a closer look at those clear plastic containers (known in the trade as clamshells) full of red raspberries. In the small print on the Driscoll label it says "Product of Mexico". When I still lived in the States, I read that label and imagined a gleaming white-tile packing factory. In my mind's eye, I saw employees in starched laboratory jackets, nurse-like white caps and latex gloves, packing raspberries as the pink fruit came flying down an assembly line. It was a fantasy worthy of Lucy and Ethel at the chocolate factory in that famous episode of I Love Lucy.

The first time I visited the nearby red raspberry "packing factory" , I had to laugh at my own earlier ideas. This packing operation was perfectly Mexican. Several clean-cut young men with bandannas wrapped around their heads roamed up and down the rows between lush raspberry canes. They hand-picked only the reddest, ripest raspberries and gently placed them into small plastic buckets, the kind five-year-olds use at the beach.

Two young women dressed in blue jeans and caps stood at a long folding table (the kind you'd find at a swap meet) and packed those perfectly ripe red raspberries into flat after flat of Driscoll clamshells. They packed the plastic boxes into case after case for shipping and then rapidly started packing more.

Within 24 hours of picking, those berries are in the United States, either in Miami or Los Angeles. A day later, they are heading to stores across the United States. Red raspberries from the shores of Lake Chapala are shipped not only to the United States but also to Canada, to England, to all parts of Europe, and to Japan.

The half pint boxes sell for about $4.50 the box in grocery stores North of the Border.

Remember that raspberries are the most delicate fruits in the vast berry family. Treat them with the softest touch, just like handling like a newborn baby. Wash them gently (never allowing them to soak) just before you serve them.

I prepared this wonderful recipe for guests just the other day. Not one single forkful was left over.

Raspberry Rosemary Sauce on Pork Medallions
1 medium or large orange
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup finely chopped onion or shallots
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot (1 small carrot)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 small bay leaf
1 package (6 ounces) red raspberries, divided
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
4 boneless center-cut pork chops
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup flour
Shredded green onion tops for garnish

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Sauce:
Using a vegetable peeler or zester, cut eight to ten thin strips from only the outer orange portion of orange peel and reserve. Squeeze the juice from the orange, reserving 1/4 cup juice.

Heat the two teaspoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, garlic, orange peel and herbs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly brown and wilted, about five minutes. Add 1/4 cup of the raspberries, the reserved 1/4 cup orange juice and the white wine.

Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced to about two tablespoons (about eight to ten minutes). Add chicken broth. Bring mixture to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Turn off heat and set sauce aside.

Note: Sauce can be prepared ahead of time to this stage. Cover and refrigerate until ready to finish.

Pork Medallions:
Pat pork dry with paper towels. In a large, oven-proof skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. While oil is heating, dust the pork evenly on both sides with flour, patting off any excess. When the oil is very hot, add pork medallions and cook until well-browned on the first side, about three minutes. Turn the medallions over, place the skillet in the preheated oven and cook until pork is just cooked through, this will be quick, only about six to seven minutes.

Remove medallions to heatproof platter or serving plate, cover loosely with aluminum foil and keep warm while finishing sauce.

Strain the sauce back into the same skillet in which the pork was cooked, pressing the solids through the strainer with the back of a spoon. Add any juices that may have collected on the serving platter. Over high heat, bring the mixture in the skillet to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until lightly thickened, about six to eight minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Spoon a tablespoon of the sauce in the center of each of the four warmed dinner plates. Place each pork medallion on top of the sauce. Top with one tablespoon sauce, about two tablespoons raspberries and a few strips of diagonally shredded green onion tops. Serve at once.

Makes four servings.

In case any of you might have health concerns about Mexican-grown produce, here's what the Driscoll people themselves say about the safety of their raspberries and strawberries:

"Driscoll's farmers have been leaders in the practice of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) which relies on a balanced method of natural and inorganic means to reduce disease and control pests in the field. To insure that Driscoll's fruit is the safest possible, Driscoll's employs a company which conducts third-party independent residue testing of fruit in every Driscoll cooler and facility every week."

The fields near here are Mexican owned and leased to Driscoll solely for growing raspberries and strawberries. The raspberry crop is rotated annually and the packing operation is moved each year to the fields most convenient to the highway.

Near the raspberry fields are far-flung fields of Driscoll's other delicious crop—strawberries. Red jewels lie close to the ground, nestled in dark green leaves. The strawberries are ripe and luscious this time of year, ready to be hand picked, packed, chilled, and shipped to all parts of the world. You'll find them, packaged in clear plastic one-pound boxes so you can see exactly what you're choosing, in the produce section of your favorite hometown supermarket. North of the Border, the boxes sell for about $2.50 in season.

These are not those huge strawberries grown more for looks than for flavor. Is there anything more disappointing than biting into a beautiful berry and finding it white in the middle, dry, hard and tasteless? These berries are mid-size and grown for their sweet taste—the best possible flavor—as well as beauty. Ripened more fully prior to picking than those grown elsewhere, these local strawberries are simply perfect.

Always refrigerate berries immediately—move them from the shopping bag to the refrigerator. Temperatures between 34 and 38 degrees F are best, but be sure not to freeze them! Fresh berries are very sensitive to freeze damage. Remember this general rule: for every hour your berries are away from refrigeration, you'll lose a whole day's shelf life.

Do not wash your berries until you are ready to prepare and eat them. Moisture will hasten decay of these fragile berries, so keep them dry as well as cold until the last moment.

Shelf life varies between berries; however, under ideal conditions, strawberries should keep for about two to five days in your refrigerator and raspberries should keep for between one and three days. For best results, consume your berries as soon after purchase as possible.

Are you drooling yet? Let's look at more wonderful recipes for raspberry and strawberry treats.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
For the ultimate in red raspberry decadence, try this cheesecake.

18 vanilla wafer cookies
1 cup macadamia nuts, toasted
4 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 large eggs
3/4 cup fresh raspberries
8 ounces sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Finely grind cookies and macadamias in food processor. Add butter and blend until mixture forms very moist crumbs. Press crumbs firmly onto bottom and part of sides of an eight inch spring-form pan. Bake until golden (10 minutes).

Filling:
Melt white chocolate in microwave, (about 1 1/2 minutes), stopping every 30 seconds to stir and to make sure it doesn't burn. Set aside. In a large bowl, use your electric mixer to beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, just until combined. Beat in white chocolate.

Spoon half the batter into the crust. Top with berries. Top with remaining batter. Bake for about 45 minutes or until cake is set around the edges, but center jiggles slightly.

Let cool for about 20 minutes before adding the topping.

Topping:
In a medium bowl, whisk sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Spoon over cake, spreading the topping to the edge of the pan. Bake five minutes. Allow cake to cool and then refrigerate overnight. Serve plain or garnish with more berries.

Here are a few tips for handling red raspberries, whether you buy them here at Lakeside at the farm or in your North of the Border supermarket.

If you want to freeze red raspberries, spread them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet with sides and place the uncovered cookie sheet in the freezer. After the raspberries are well frozen, shake them gently into a zip-lock bag and immediately put them back in the freezer. Your raspberries, whole and beautiful, will be ready for immediate use when you need them.

Try the following recipe when you want to serve an unusual fruit treat for a Sunday party brunch. Your guests will love the refreshing berries in a very unusual dressing.

Cristina's Ginger Strawberries
This recipe is served cold with a hint of spice and always makes a hit at brunch.

2 pounds fresh ripe strawberries
1 orange
2 tablespoons pickled ginger, drained
1 cup unflavored yogurt
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 tablespoons sugar or 2 packets artificial sweetener (Splenda, Sweet'n'Low, Equal)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Remove green caps from strawberries and wash gently. Pat dry in a large terry cloth towel. Cut the strawberries in half and place in a large mixing bowl.

With a vegetable peeler or zester, cut thin strips of orange peel (orange part only). Cut the orange peel strips into tiny matchstick-size strips, no longer than 1" and no wider than 1/16".

Cut the pickled ginger to the same size as the orange strips. Mix the ginger and the orange strips together.

Add the ginger and orange strips mixture, orange marmalade, sugar (or artificial sweetener) and salt to the yogurt. Stir until well-mixed.

Pour yogurt mixture over strawberries and stir gently to coat all the strawberries.

Refrigerate until well chilled. Serve.

This sorbet is delicious served either at the end of a meal or served (in a tiny cup) as a refreshing palate cleanser between otherwise spicy courses. I've served it scooped into tiny fluted foil cups meant for chocolate truffles. The tiny servings, piled high on crushed ice in a giant brandy snifter, make a beautiful presentation.

        Fresh Strawberry Sorbet
        During strawberry season and the warmer days of spring and early summer, this easy sorbet  is a           cooling favorite.

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 pints fresh ripe strawberries
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 to 3 tablespoons vodka

Makes 8 to 10 servings
   

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and water. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer five minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand approximately 10 minutes.

Lightly rinse and dry the strawberries; hull and cut in halves. In a food processor or blender, puree the strawberries with 1/4 cup of the sugar syrup (sugar and water mixture). Add lemon juice, vodka, and pureed strawberries to the remaining sugar syrup; stir until thoroughly blended.

  NOTE: The vodka (or any other type of alcohol) is the secret to a soft sorbet. Alcohol itself does not freeze and adding a little bit to the mixture keeps the sorbet from freezing. Vodka is an excellent choice as it doesn't change the flavor of the fruit.

Ice Cream Maker--Transfer mixture to ice cream maker, process according to manufacturer's instructions.

Refrigerator Freezer Method--Pour into plastic container, cover, and place mixture in the freezer. When it has frozen enough to be semi-solid, mash it up with a fork and freeze again. When frozen, place in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Cover and refreeze until serving time.

NOTE:Fresh strawberry sorbet can be prepared three days in advance. Cover and keep frozen.

Bringing fresh, ripe strawberries home from the field (or from the tianguis) is tricky. It's a good practice to take a wicker basket or plastic container with you to put your strawberries in for their trip home; like raspberries, they are easily smashed and deteriorate quickly under their own weight in a plastic bag.

If you buy either raspberries or strawberries in plastic clamshells, save a clamshell or two for times when you might go to a pick-your-own farm to protect the berries on the trip home. Bring your strawberries home in the clamshells. You'll be glad you did, when you realize your freshly picked berries will arrive home in perfect condition.

Here are some fascinating statistics about strawberries: Canada imports all of its fresh strawberries from either the United States or from Mexico. The United States is the major importer of Mexican fresh strawberries. Under NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement), duty is no longer charged on strawberry exports to either the USA or Canada.

Last, but certainly not least, let's toast our local strawberries with a refreshing and beautiful strawberry margarita.

Strawberry Margaritas
The jewel of the season: try our fresh strawberry margarita recipe!

For two:
10 to 12 ripe strawberries
2 cups ice
2/3 cup prepared margarita mixer
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 teaspoons fresh key lime juice
Whole strawberries (for garnish)

Put strawberries in a blender with the ice, margarita mixer, orange juice concentrate and lime juice. Blend until smooth and slushy. Pour into two glasses and garnish with whole strawberries, if desired.

Buen provecho!