A Mexican Feast for Bodies and Souls
by Dave Roos, New York Times, October 27, 2004
Sometimes the smell of a steaming, freshly corn-husked tamale is
enticing enough to wake the dead.
This time of year, in the mountainous Lake Pátzcuaro region of the
Mexican state of Michoacán, villagers prepare a feast for their
deceased as part of the annual Day of the Dead celebrations. From
the end of October through early November, families dedicate
ofrendas (home altars) to the recently departed, setting a lavishly
adorned table with the loved one's favorite foods.
The table is crowded with indigenous classics like corundas,
pyramidal tamales filled with salty cheese and poblano pepper; and
churipo, a slow-simmered meat and vegetable stew in a ruddy
broth of blended chilies, as well as more modern dishes like the
regional staple sopa tarasca and the ubiquitous Day of the Dead
treat, pan de muertos.
People here believe that the dead are guided by the alluring odors
of their favorite foods during the long journey back from the world
beyond. Once they arrive, they will share a meal with the living
during an all-night vigil in the town cemetery....(read more)
by Dave Roos, New York Times, October 27, 2004
Sometimes the smell of a steaming, freshly corn-husked tamale is
enticing enough to wake the dead.
This time of year, in the mountainous Lake Pátzcuaro region of the
Mexican state of Michoacán, villagers prepare a feast for their
deceased as part of the annual Day of the Dead celebrations. From
the end of October through early November, families dedicate
ofrendas (home altars) to the recently departed, setting a lavishly
adorned table with the loved one's favorite foods.
The table is crowded with indigenous classics like corundas,
pyramidal tamales filled with salty cheese and poblano pepper; and
churipo, a slow-simmered meat and vegetable stew in a ruddy
broth of blended chilies, as well as more modern dishes like the
regional staple sopa tarasca and the ubiquitous Day of the Dead
treat, pan de muertos.
People here believe that the dead are guided by the alluring odors
of their favorite foods during the long journey back from the world
beyond. Once they arrive, they will share a meal with the living
during an all-night vigil in the town cemetery....(read more)
Butterfly and Cooking Retreat
Day of the Dead
| Day of the Dead Cooking Retreat Saturday, October 27 - Saturday November 3, 2007 |
