Category Archives: Native fauna and flora

December 22, 2014 · 3:55 pm

Christmas in México—Poinsettias

poinsetta

Poinsettia gone wild!

Everyone knows that the poinsettia was adopted in the United States as a Christmas decoration when Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Ambassador to Mexico, introduced the plant into the United States in 1825.  So since this weed was so highly esteemed by the neighbors to the north, the Mexican too adopted this plant as a holy Christian symbol. 

However, it was valued prior to Christianity reached the shores of México.  The Poinsettia, or Cuitlaxochitl as it was known in Nahuatl, was used by the pre-Hispanic indigenous people to make clothing dyes.  It was also thought to host the souls of fallen warriors.

Then, during the 17th Century, a group of Franciscan priests settled near Taxco and began to use the poinsettia as decoration in the Fiesta of Santa Pesebre and most likely, in their Christmas celebrations.

A relatively modern story evolved to provide rational for its Christmas use.  There are several versions of this story about, and here is one more.

Once upon a time, a young boy was going to see the image of the Christ child at the altar in the local iglesia (church) on Christmas Eve.  He felt bad that he wasn’t able to bring any gifts to lay at its feet.  As he was walking, he saw a green leafy plant by the side of the road.   Having nothing else to bring, he picked the plant and went inside the church.  When he lay the plant by the image of the baby Jésus, it miraculously changed color.  It’s leaves turned bright red.   He knew his gift from the heart had been well received in heaven. From this day forth, this plant has been called La Flor de la Nochebuena.

Other versions follow the same story line, but the gift is given by a little girl. (The Legend of the Poinsettia)

Some versions of this story have the boy actually giving the plant to the baby Jésus like the Little Drummer Boy rather than visiting a local altar, but that just seems too hokey.  This plant is not native to Bethlehem and how a little Mexican indigenous boy found his way to Israel is beyond explanation, so the stories don’t even try.

However it came about, the NocheBuena is now a firmly entrenched emblem of Christmas in México.
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November 14, 2014 · 4:23 pm

Alternative Farming–Gleaning

maiz-sorgo-leviticus

November is harvest month in central México. The corn has been stacked to dry, and the squash piled high. The winter crop, garbanzo(chickpeas), has been planted and if the rains hold off, by now, it should be about 3 inches high.

But the harvesting isn’t done. Maiz sorgo is also ready to bring in. This grain plant is a favorite of chickens and pigs. (See Miss Piggy didn’t bring home the bacon). It isn’t a crop we plant since humans don’t typically eat it, so we have to obtain it through other means.

thresher sideTherefore last Sunday, we headed towards Cerano to see what we could see. And lo and behold, there was the maquina (thresher) mowing through the fields of maiz sorgo. My husband excitedly pulled off the road and leaped out with his costales (grain sacks) and machete.

thresher dumpingHe asked the people in the fields if he could apepinar (glean). It is a courtesy to ask, but nearly never is it denied. Gleaning, if you aren’t already familiar with the term, consists of collecting the fallen crops that la maquina (thresher) didn’t get. It isn’t difficult, but it is tiring going up and down the rows looking for leftovers. The trick is knowing where the thresher is going next to be one of the first to stake your claim.

gleaning

We followed la maquina (thresher) for a few hours and came home with 4-5 costales (sacks) of maiz sorgo. Not too shabby, but certainly not enough to last all winter.

threshing

The next step is to thresh the grain heads so that the little seeds can be stored better. This involves some heavy stick beating. After that, we give the chaff to the goats and scoop the seeds into a barrel. If there is enough, we take the seeds to the molinero (miller) and have it ground to dust. If there isn’t, we feed it as is to the chickens as part of their homemade “scratch” (grain mixture).

Being a gatherer isn’t such an onerous life as you might think and an important part of our harvest.

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September 5, 2014 · 7:00 am

Picking Tunas

full of tunas

Tunas are not hard to find after the rainy season.

 

 La Yacata provides for us in many ways you might not expect. Not only do the cactus that grow here give us nopal and pitayas (See Picking Pitayas) but after the rainy season, there are the tunas. Tunas come in red and green and are what might be called prickly pears. As with all things the desert provides, they take some effort to harvest but are well worth it.

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Climbing on the top of the truck might get you close enough to harvest tunas–or it might not.

The first step in picking tunas is to find a cactus loaded with them. Once a likely target has been sighted, then the trick is to determine the best way to get at them. Tunas grow at the very tip top of the cactus and obviously you can’t just scurry up its branches like you would an apple tree. The cactus wouldn’t hold your weight and would give you espinas (thorns) in both your shoes and any other part of your body that might be exposed. You also don’t want to try and shake the cactus like you would a small nut tree or risk a rain of thorns.

stick with machete

Attaching a long stick to a machete may help you harvest.

Sometimes, parking below and clambering up on the top of the truck cabin will boost you enough to reach. Other times, if you are fortunate, the cactus will have grown next to some sort of tree you can climb. When all else fails, a long stick with a machete on top might do the trick.

twist with pinchers

Cutting a small section of the penca (leaf) will allow you to get at the tunas.

With the machete, extended or normal, cut a section of the penca (cactus leaf) that has a good number of tunas. Don’t worry about damaging the plant. Wherever a penca (cactus leaf) falls, another cactus grows.

brush off

Brush the thorns off the tunas before cutting them open.

With improvised wooden pinchers made from whatever branches may be lying about, twist off the tuna. When you have a pile of them, use a group of leafy branches to knock off most of the espinas (thorns). Once brushed clean, slice the tuna lengthwise with your machete. Using your thumb, pop out the fruit and discard the outside. This process is best done out in the open. The tiny espinas (thorns) that protect the fruit are sharp and painful and get everywhere.

pop out

Slice open and pop out the fruit.


When you have a bunch of this juicy, seedy sweet fruit, add límon y sal (lime and salt) and enjoy.

with limon

Enjoy tunas with a little lime and salt!

Doesn’t this Prickly Pear Margarita look delicious?

PricklyPearMargarita

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