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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 24, 2012 2:59:30 GMT
As soon as I heard that there would be a nicuatole festival, I knew I had to go. I quite like nicuatole, which I consider subtle rather than bland, plus it usually tastes slightly smoky from being cooked over a wood fire -- a true pre-columbian treat.
San Agustin Yatareni is barely outside the city of Oaxaca, so it would be easy to get there, look around, & be back in time for the birthday dinner I was invited to at 3 o'clock.
A friend was supposed to accompany me, but she opted out. If anyone has an explanation as to how a person could turn down a chance to sample different flavors of jelled cornstarch, I'd sure like to hear it!
The poster promises milk, plain, grape, chocolate, pineapple, coconut, pecan, hazelnut, and almond flavored nicuatoles.
I set out late Sunday morning into a bright overcast day ~ And two colectivo and one moto-taxi rides later, I was at the threshold of a fun experience ~ Sneaking a peek into a kitchen as I pass ~ And here we are at one long arm of the stands. Drat! Everything is suffused with deep red color from the tarps overhead, making it look like a food fest in Hell. Oh well, I'll just artsy up some of my pics later & we'll have a look around now. Smiling faces everywhere and, as promised on the poster, other corn-based comestibles ~ This was one of the stands selling tejate. We'll meet this lady again later. Tejate: Tacos, tostadas, etc.: And the star of the show, nicuatole -- plain on the left, pineapple on the right ~
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 24, 2012 3:15:14 GMT
There will be time to go back & try some of the goodies on those tables, but right now let's see what is beyond the food tents.
The tents are just off the town square, with its onyx fountain and Wedgwood blue church a few steps up ~It's the typical Mexican small town square, with the arched building containing the municipal offices on two sides. This one is particularly cheerful with that big blue basketball court/fútbol field in the middle.It's a tidy town ~The clock is right twice a day ~A glimpse outside the square ~
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 24, 2012 3:32:08 GMT
My eye keeps being drawn to the wonderful concave green tiles on one of the church domes. The tiles are beautifully glassy in the sunlight.Let's check out what's beneath those domes ..........
There's a great deal of space around the church, including this serene shaded area ~Much-needed repairs are going on ~ Looks as though they were disinclined to remove this old poster on the front door ~ Wow -- inside it's an absolutely classic small-town Mexican church: St. Augustine, the town's patron saint ~
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 24, 2012 3:40:10 GMT
This arrangement, with a shelf running down the whole length of the church on both sides, is found repeatedly throughout Mexico. To me, it always looks so homey, as though a place of worship had been combined with grandma's kitchen.We're leaving this incensed space now, but there is more to show of all sorts of things. Please check back later.
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Post by mossie on Aug 24, 2012 7:01:55 GMT
A lovely glimpse into a different world.
That new camera is working well
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Post by auntieannie on Aug 24, 2012 11:46:10 GMT
waiting for more food pics..... tap tap tap...
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 24, 2012 14:58:19 GMT
Thanks, Mossie. I hope to get better with time. Annie, patience, patience. There's mucho meandering left to go but there will be munchies. I have to go out in a few minutes, but here are a few more shots ~~ Looking down at the main square from the churchyard ~And here's a bit of irony. With an extravaganza of traditional treats just a few steps away, including homemade ice creams and ices, these kids are clustered around a vendor of franchise frozen snacks.I mean, really -- when they could be enjoying these natural and nutritious items!
No, I did not sample these. They appear to be artfully sculpted petals of nicuatole ambered into gelatin. Yum. The fringes of the festival tapering to a lovely view ~I kept trying to get a good picture of the nifty uniforms of the kiddy group, Banda Inquieta Celestial, but they were darting here and there through the crowd. Caught these three sitting down ~And they caught me snapping. Someone please tell me what these hand gestures mean, in case I need to stop smiling at the little darlings when they make them.More to come in a while, including pictures of real food plus the quick and the dead.
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Post by auntieannie on Aug 24, 2012 17:19:52 GMT
I was pulling your leg a bit, bixabella... enjoying the pics... wow.. the sun is shining! it is a rare thing here. living vicariously...
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Post by htmb on Aug 25, 2012 17:20:51 GMT
I love these photos, bixa, and I especially enjoy seeing the bright, vibrant colors captured in your photos.
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Post by lugg on Aug 25, 2012 18:32:31 GMT
This photo essay is a visual treat.
Your opening oxymoron just describes the sky and light perfectly.
What does the tajate taste of ?
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Post by auntieannie on Aug 25, 2012 19:19:16 GMT
Is the tejate in your picture ready for consumption or is it supposed to be cooked? it looks a bit like a liquid dough awaiting cooking. Sorry, don't know much about Mexican cuisine... or anything else for that matter...
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2012 20:47:18 GMT
That looks like a really wonderful town. Your photos of Oaxaca have always been very nice, but this place seems just tidier and better kept for some reason (probably for the same reason as the United States or France -- certain suburbs exist for the very purpose of looking nicer than the big city, just because they are a more manageable size).
The shelved walls in the churches are indeed a nice touch in a country where people love to bring flowers and other objects as part of their devotion. I wonder why the Virgin Mary has to be so sad, though -- has she lost her faith? Normally she should understand all that stuff about what happened to Jesus and accept it.
Frankly, I am not certain that I am going to be enjoying seeing the possibly weird food that is in the offing.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 25, 2012 23:30:09 GMT
Thanks to all of you for the nice feedback! Lugg & Annie, tejate tastes wonderful. The liquid itself is not very thick. It tastes somewhat of chocolate and somewhat of cinnamon, sweet cold, & refreshing. The vendors always have some syrup at the side to make it sweeter if you wish. What you're seeing in the picture is the foam on top, which is like whipped cocoa butter. Here is a picture of it being served, where you see the liquid & the glasses already charged with syrup on the side. My theory about the Blessed Virgin, for what it's worth -- I think her appeal is that of the universal yearning for hope and mercy, qualities with which she has been imbued, much as was Guanyin. In a land with a grafted-on religion where life is often hard, turning to a heavenly figure who had suffered as a mother on earth could give solace or at least acceptance. Now on to the weird food ~~
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 25, 2012 23:55:01 GMT
I wanted to eat a little something solid before hitting the sweet nicuatole, but how to decide ~~It was a mob scene of people and choices ~I stop to admire the deft construction of a lovely quesadilla with squash flowers ~I decided on a tamal Oaxaqueño -- made with black mole and wrapped in banana leaf. Let's deconstruct it: Passing a timeless scene of a lady serving tejate as her jolly husband gives change, I emerge back out onto the squre ~
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 26, 2012 0:09:04 GMT
I do want to see what's on the other side of the church, but first a visit to the potty (spotless!) & a snoop under the arches of the municipal building.
I have to find a place to squeeze through, as people are apparently already guarding their spots for the band and folk dance presentations later ~Once under the arches, I have to squeeze past a live radio broadcast.I wasn't the only one squeezing past, as two young guys kept hitting the sample table ~Educational material:Some more bored people waiting. They're motivated not to give up those chairs!
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 26, 2012 0:23:27 GMT
Peering up at the churchyard from the square below ~It's a great place to brace the camera to play with the zoom. I manage to get past the tarp covering the space in front of the church ~Out the other side to see the pretty house again, a rustic yard, and clouds over the mountains ~My plan is to walk down the street and see what there is to see. But what's this? There are people on top of the church!
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 26, 2012 20:06:36 GMT
Sure enough there are at least a couple of guys scarily high up there ~Back in the churchyard, I can see that they're hoisting the big tarp up.Heave! Once again I leave the churchyard to walk down the street. As I do, I glance up at one of the towers, thinking I might be able to capture an image for Lugg's bell thread. Alas, it appears to be bell-less.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 26, 2012 20:22:37 GMT
Bell-less, hell! A few steps out the churchyard & my ears definitely tell me otherwise.
Oh yes, there's a bell, and it's being rung with a vengeance ...... with those poor tarp pullers still up on the roof ~And now a second bell, rung with all the gusto of the first!DONG DONG DONG DONG DONG!Portrait of a man with ears ringing. *cue Charles Laughton voice* "She made me deaf, you know!"
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Post by lugg on Aug 27, 2012 10:20:05 GMT
Positively salivating as I look at the quesadilla with squash flowers and the tamal Oaxaqueño Hurrah , some bells ( hope some get onto image thread. Love the ringing effect you have created , very clever.
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Post by mich64 on Aug 27, 2012 15:34:46 GMT
Bixa I am always so impressed with your essays. You always capture so much detail of an event. Your photos of people whether they be in a group or individuals always seem to have so much expression.
The light blue paint on the plaster of the church is so delicate, very beautiful to me.
Was the food more expensive than that offered by the street vendor? It is very exotic looking, children can be fussy where as adults like to try something new.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2012 18:07:01 GMT
Yes, the quesadilla with squash flowers looks like a must.
Isn't that Anthony Quinn in charge of the bell tower?
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Post by htmb on Aug 27, 2012 21:02:08 GMT
I have no idea what squash flowers taste like. Would they add a lot of flavor to a quesadilla?
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 27, 2012 21:56:59 GMT
Thanks to all of you for the lovely and gratifying remarks. Mich, the food was very reasonably priced, maybe a little more expensive than regular street food, but not much. (& I think you'd go ga-ga over this church) You think that man looks like Anthony Quinn, Kerouac? Naaah. Quesadillas de flor de calabaza generally have the flowers, Oaxacan string cheese (similar to Armenian string cheese), & epazote (oddly flavored wild herb). I see the maker of the ones in the picture has added some asiento (the darker lard from the bottom of the rendering pot, along with any little crunchy bits). Htmb, I'd say the flowers taste like a a delicate lettuce with some subtle but definitely present floral note. They do add flavor and texture to any dish.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 27, 2012 22:16:51 GMT
Okay, enough shilly-shallying ~~ we're finally going to get out of this churchyard & look around town a little bit.
casa:tienda:Love the name of this pastry shop -- The Sweet Angelotra tienda:messy! Ah, what's this? Yaay ~~ a cemetery! Stay tuned. I'll be back in a bit with more exciting scenes from San Agustin Yatareni.
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Post by mich64 on Aug 27, 2012 22:42:30 GMT
Thank you Bixa, yes! I enjoyed that. That store is surprisingly messy, usually everything is so neat, tidy and organized in the stores you have showed us. Looking forward to more!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2012 3:45:30 GMT
Whoever made the shelves in that shop has about as many carpentry skills as I do.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Aug 28, 2012 16:00:02 GMT
WOW....stunning pics and very interesting commentary...the concave tiles are splendid aren't they? never seen those before. What a beautiful, colourful place...I bet it was full of delicious tantalising smells too !
I really loved this report Bixa dear...splendid.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 28, 2012 17:58:26 GMT
Thanks, all!
Yeah, I'd say those store owners had lost interest in being grocers, Mich Maybe they prefer their flower arrangement business.
Kerouac, calling that "carpentry" is too flattering to the product.
Cheery, I never saw the concave tiles before either, or at least never noticed them. Appreciate your compliment on the report, but it ain't over yet ~~
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 28, 2012 18:38:27 GMT
Let's go into the cemetery, which is wired ~
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 28, 2012 18:39:15 GMT
Friendly ghosts I felt a larcenous impulse ~
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