The Virgin of Guadalupe

Now I'm going to tell you about a relevant figure in Mexican culture, The Virgin of Guadalupe, which plays a significant role in everyday life of Mexico: we can see her on the streets, in houses, in cars, just everywhere! Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patron Saint of America, and especially of Mexico. Her face looks Indian, which is why she is named Morenita. This name refers to the Spanish word 'moreno' that states for dark skin and hair. The figure of Juan Diego on his knees, the Aztec who had a relevation, can be seen in her eyes. 

According to the legend, Our Lady of Guadalupe asked Juan Diego for building a temple in her honor on Tepeyac Hill where she revealed to him. The Indian decided to seek Juan de Zumárraga, the archbishop of Mexico City, to tell him what had happend. The archbishop ordered him to go back to Tepeyac Hill, and ask the Lady for a miraculous sign that would prove the revelation. The Virgin told Juan to pick flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill, which was normally infertile, especially in December. Juan followed her instructions and found the flowers that released a type of roses which didn´t exist in Mexico. The Virgin arranged the roses in his tilma (agave cloth) and when Juan Diego opened it before archbishop Zumárraga, the flowers fell to the floor, and there was the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe on Juan’s clothing.

There is a cultural syncretism between two religions: Aztec and Christian. There is a connection between the Aztec goodness of the Earth named Tonantzin which means "our mother" and the worship of the Lady of Guadalupe. Her temple was situated on the very same Hill of Tepeyac where nowadays is located the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, which constitute the greatest sanctuary in the world. The last time when the revelation to Juan Diego took place was on December 12th, 1531, which has become a feas day in the Catholic Church.

The history of the national emblem of Mexico

This time, I want to tell you some basic but noteworthy information about the national emblem of Mexico. I decided to share it with you because there is a very significant Aztec legend related to this emblem.
The national flag of Mexico consist of three vertical strips: green, white and red. Unfortunately, there is no official symbolism of colors. In the middle of the white strip, there is the national emblem which represents the eagle devouring the serpent and sitting on the opuntia, which is located on the islet situated on Lake Texcoco.

According to the legend, the Aztec god named Huitzilopochtli ordered the Aztecs to find the eagle on the opuntia and found their city there. Thus, the Mexica people (commonly known as the Aztecs) set off from the mythical land called Aztlán and began their search for the sign. Finally, around 1323, they arrived to the Anahuác Valley, where they saw the eagle sitting on the opuntia. That's where they founded their capital city, Tenochtitlan, the present Mexico City!

Until today, there are Aztec ruins in the heart of this enormous city. There is also a monument  built six centuries later, which comemorates this legendary place, where the eagle devouring the serpent was found!

The origin of chocolate

The name of the most important sweet in the world derives from the word chocolatl, from náhuatl, the Aztec language. It is  probably related to the word xococ that means "bitter".

It is thought that cocoa was used for the first time in the territory of Mexico, which was occupied by Prehispanic cultures at that time. They used to consume it in a particular way, which was very diffrent from the manner we do it today. The indigenous people prepared a special type of drink based on fermentation of cocoa beans and their flesh. This beverage had a crucial ritual funtion and give them a lot of energy. 

According to Maya mitology, after the creation of humanity from the pastry of corn, one of their main Gods, Kukulkan, gave Mayas cocoa. To honour the God of cocoa, Ek Chuah, Mayas organised a festival, during which the sacrifices of animals and cocoa beans were being made.

Later, the Aztec people also continued this tradition of elaborating this unusual sort of meal. Their legend says that God Quetzalcóatl himself, known as the Plumed Serpent, was the one who put in the hand of the ancient Aztecs the cocoa beans. However, the Aztecs preparated it in another way that let them obtain a kind of liquid with the foam. This beverage was drunk cold and with additional ingredients such as chili pepper, vanilla or cornflour, which improved the flavour or changed the consitency of the drink. As a result, they could enjoy a drink which was not only extremely energising but also quite bitter and piquant. 

Nowadays, the most popular form of eating products containing cocoa is the bar of chocolate. We also know the liquid form of chocolate which is completely different than its original form because it's very sweet and hot!

The importance of corn

The corn has been of great importance in Mexico since the times of Prehispanic tribes. This relevance is related not only to its nutritious value but, more importantly, to its sacred and traditional character. In the daily cuisine of Mexicans, this ingredient is as ubiquitous as bread in Poland, pasta in Italy or rice in Chinese cuisine. Mexican tortillas, which are made of corn flour, constitute the basic ingredient of everyday Mexican dishes! But it's just the only one of many forms of eating this delicious vegetable...

In Mexico, there are sixty four types of corn in total, which differ in terms of color, size and taste. For example, there are big and small cobs with very tiny or large kernels, which can be white, yellow, blue, red or purple. The extraordinary thing is a hybrid cob that consists of colorful grains!

The Mayan legend says that after an unsuccessful attempt to create a man from mud and then from wood, the gods decided to mold a man from the mass of corn. The last version turned out to be a perfect creature. However, the Aztec legend says a different story. According to Aztec tradition, one of their most important gods, Quetzalcóatl, transformed into an ant, which brought Aztecs a grain of corn. Later, they decided to sow the kernel. Since that moment, this plant became very important for them making them strong and happy.

This valuable vegetable has survived to these days and it still constitutes a part of contemporary Mexicans’ lives. They have many dishes such as atole, pozole or tamales, which contain corn being one of the most essential ingredients of Mexican cuisine.

Mexican chili pepper: small but spicy!

The chili pepper, besides a corn and a bean, was a one of the essential products of Mexican cuisine since a Prehispanic days. Now, it is still present among the main ingredients of Mexican dishes. It is hard even to find the one without chili pepper! There is a special dish which the Mexican people prepare on Independence Day of Mexico. It is called "chile en nogada" and consist of green chili pepper stuffed with meat, white sauce and seeds of pomegranate. It refers to national colours of Mexico. 

In Mexico, there are more than fourty types of chili pepper and its pungency we can measure with the Scoville scale. It is worth a mantion its nutritious value and a good influence on our health. This is both a piquent vegetable and exquisite condiment. Moreover, it's not only one of low-calorie foods, but also an excellent source of different vitamins. For example, it's a vegetable of major concentration of vitamin C! The incredible thing is also that a fresh chili pepper contains more than a double of vitamin C than the lemon and orange! Thanks to that it increases the immunity of our organism during the cold seasons. It is worth adding that the chili pepper, like a chocolate, liberates endorphins: happy hormons which make us feel better! :D

Now you can see that the Mexican food is not only very tasty and hot but also very rich in nutritious components. However, you have to remember one more thing: if you overdose the chili pepper, it is absolutely necessary to take some sugar, bread, milk or cream as quick as possible. The water is not very useful in this case!