Uncover the Flavorful Secrets of Mexico’s Beloved Pozole: 5 Surprising Facts About This Timeless Dish

Did you know that pozole was a dish that Emperor Moctezuma ate and that there are several ways in Mexico to prepare pozole?

Mexico City, September 15 (However).- The national holidays are here and with them comes a feast of typical dishes to entertain the palate such as tostadas, gorditas, pambazos, sopes and the star dish that seems impossible miss it: pozole . So, this time we share 5 facts about this Mexican dish.

According to information from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), the word pozole comes from Nahuatl. pozzolioh tlapozonalli, which means sparkling. Pozole is prepared with cacahuazintle corn grains that are pre-cooked for two hours.

“Moctezuma pozole” is prepared with pork skin and sardines. Forum: Nancy Chávez, SinEmbargo

This dish has a great history, as it is believed that the Emperor Moctezuma ate pozole offered to the god Xipe Tótec, lord of fertility and regeneration of corn and war, this was a dish only for the nobility. According to the SADER website, there are cooking recipes that the Spanish brothers collected after the conquest, where it is said that the meat used for pozole was human meat.

Fray Bernardino de Sahagún mentions a dish with corn that was part of a ritual where the meat of human beings was used, which were sacrificed and then given to each person a piece. In the text “Pozole of the warriors”, Rodrigo Llanes explains that a warrior captured an enemy of the same rank on the battlefield, then took him to Tenochtitlan where he was treated with honor, and later the ritual sacrifice was performed . “The body was rolled down the steps of the temple and the captive warrior had to retrieve it to take it home. There it would be cooked as follows: ‘they cooked the meat with the corn, and gave each [de los convidados] a piece of that meat in a bowl or cachet, with its broth and its cooked corn'”, Rodrigo Llanes quotes Bernardino Sahagún in “The general history of things in New Spain”.

This changed with the arrival of the Spanish who used pork which changed the ceremonial meaning, as well as the fact that everyone could now enjoy it.

Although it is a healthy food, in excess and with misuse of supplies, it can be heavy. Picture: Cuartoscuro

Pozole is a healthy meal, according to the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), this can be a nutritious meal – if not consumed in excess – as it contains vegetables, foods of animal origin and cereals. The IMSS recommends that an adequate serving of pozole includes: a medium plate (300 ml bowl), 1 cup of vegetables (lettuce, radish and onion), 40 grams of solid pork or chicken and 2/3 cup of corn. This has a nutritional value of 245 kcal.

Other tips that the IMSS share are to dilute the soup, accompany it with baked toast, drink plain or flavored water without sugar and add natural fruit.

Pozole is prepared in different ways depending on the region; in the country there are about 20 types of pozole, although it is generally recognized by its colour. SADER shares its features:

– White Pozole: It is prepared with the pig’s head and seasoned with lemon juice, hot sauce or crushed piquín chili, lettuce, sliced ​​radishes, chopped onion and crushed oregano.
–Red Pozole: Its origin is linked to the state of Jalisco, it is prepared with ancho chili and guajillo chili. The traditional thing is to eat it with pork, but there are versions with chicken or turkey.
– Green Pozole: Pozole with green tomatoes, epazote and pumpkin seeds; It is associated with the state of Guerrero, it is also eaten with pork skin and avocado to match.
According to Jerónimo Álvarez, general manager of El Pozole de Moctezuma, Guerrero’s traditional pozole is prepared with egg, onion, chili, oregano, lemon, avocado, sardine and chicharrón; The green color is given by the pepita mole.
Pozole with seafood: On the coasts of Colima, Jalisco and Nayarit, this pozole is prepared. Its main ingredient is prawn soup which is combined with pork lard At the end, prawns, fish, octopus and callus clams are added.
Vegetarian pozole: Now there is a vegetarian version made with mushrooms and mushrooms. The soup is prepared with bay leaves, garlic, onion, guajillo chili and mushrooms.

Pozole with mushrooms. Photo: Courtesy of HSI

The largest pozole in the world was made by cooking 1,900 kilos of the traditional dish, breaking the Guinness Record. This was done in an event with more than 500 attendees organized by the Knorr brand this September 13 to pay tribute to the national gastronomic heritage.

The largest pozole in the world was prepared with more than 1,900 kilos. Photo: Courtesy