MEXICO?S NUTRITIONAL
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLD
Our country is a source of grand gastronomical richness, not only
because it has offered a variety of very important ingredients to the world,
but also because Mexico has established vast culinary offerings that have
contributed to the cuisine of other countries.
We will begin with the tomato, a fruit whose consumption in salads and
Mexican antojitos (snacks of
indigenous and Spanish mixed origin) is also the sauce base of international
fame like in ketchup, of British origin; or soups like the Spanish gazpacho and
popular Italian plates like pizza, cannelloni and spaghetti.
Chocolate, famous worldwide, is an element made by splitting the cacao
seed and had its origin in Mexico. In the pre-Hispanic era, the ancient Mexicans
considered it a sacred element since Quetzalcóatl,
one of the most important gods of pre-Columbian worship, gave it to the people
so that they could use it in their offerings and rituals. In our days, this
element has transcended borders, inventing itself in different nations around
the world where it is sold in varying forms.
Corn, a native grain of Mexico, was the basic food of the American
cultures who considered it a gift of the gods and the substance from which the
first men were created. Actually, it is used in the preparation of dishes like polenta (ground and cooked), consumed in
Italy, Bulgaria and Romania, where it is produced with the flour of
this grain. From corn we also get huitlacoche,
the fungus of the corn ear, considered a very important ingredient in dishes of
high cuisine in Europe
and the United States of America.
The chile, an ingredient of a thousand flavors, is
enjoyed in diverse types of sauces that add flavor to innumerable dishes. This
condiment is also known by the names of ají (red pepper) or Indian pepper, and is one of the
most important ingredients in the preparation of typical dishes in the United States, India, Pakistan and Indonesia not to mention Eastern Europe and Central
America.
The avocado, native fruit of the high altitudes of Central and Eastern Mexico, has multiplied its cultivation in different parts of the globe,
distinguishing itself by its smooth texture and flavor. You can enjoy it in
varying recipes of high cuisine, such as tartar de salmón y aguacate (salmon and avocado mousse) of the Canary Islands in Spain, or avocado and pecan ice cream, created
in Israel.
Vanilla, whose sweet essence owes its origin to an
orchid native of the Papantla area in the state of Veracruz, has become an
essential ingredient in desserts, candies and cakes all around the world.
Another Mexican contribution to the world
is the guajolote (turkey), a bird
whose meat is much valued in preparing special dishes in times like Christmas
or Thanksgiving Day.
Finally, the journey would not be complete with acquainting oneself with
all the attributes the nopal has to
offer. It is a cactus native to the desert regions of Mexico, which has been consumed since the pre-Hispanic era,
not only for its gastronomical qualities but also for its medicinal and
industrial value. The use of the nopal
is fundamental in the preparation of salads and sauces of Peruvian gastronomy,
where it is known by the name of its fruit (tuna),
while in Spain the tunas
are served cool in syrup mixed with sugar and other fruits.
