Pozol
Encyclopedia
Pozol is a name for both the fermented
corn dough
and the drink made from it, which has its origins in Pre-Columbian Mexico
. To the drink, other ingredients besides corn dough and water, such as cocoa
, may be added. The drink is consumed in the south of Mexico in states like Chiapas
and Tabasco
, and besides as a thirst-quencher, it has been used against diseases. It also aided Indigenas
when they made long walks across the jungles.
-Chontales from Tabasco
prepared this drink with boiled cornmeal
, cocoa
, and grain
s. Initially, it was called pochotl (from nahuatl
, "pozolli", meaning "sparkling"), but after the arrival of the Spanish in Tabasco in 1519, the name changed to the now-familiar "pozol". It was traditionally made by women by fermenting
corn dough, which, when dissolved in water, is eaten raw by various ethnic group
s of southern and southeastern Mexico. In Chiapas, this drink was prepared for Mayas
, Zoques and Chiapanecas.
Pozol is drunk throughout the day, especially by the lower classes, though it is generally used throughout the classes. In pre-Hispanic times, it was drunk mixed with cocoa, unsweetened; since the twentieth century, sugar and ice are added throughout Chiapas.
Because of its high degree of conservation, pozol cornballs were and are used by various groups as provisions for their long journeys through the jungle. Besides its use as food, the drink was used as a medicine
and for ceremonies. In the past pozol balls were used by the Maya as a poultice
, as well as to prevent or treat skin infection
s and wounds.
Pozol also had a ceremonial importance, since pre-Hispanic times, it was used as an important component of offerings in various Maya festivities. These festivities were related to the cultivation and harvest of corn
.
. The drink, which is a "sort of whitish porridge," is made by soaking the dough in water. Common extra ingredients included chili pepper, honey
, and sugar.
The preparation of the white pozol is based on corn dough mixed with sweetened or unsweetened water. There is the choice not to sweeten it, to swallow a pinch of salt
and a slice of chili
before drinking (and swallowing salt mixed with chili powder). Some people from Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas also prefer to prepare sourdough
. The Sour Pozol is more common in Tuxtla Gutierrez. Sour dough is left for three days and can be taken with or without sugar. It can be consumed cold and taken with salt and with dried or fresh chili. Currently, the Lacandones use pozol mixed with honey
to lower fever
and control diarrhea
and other intestinal disorders, similar to using other people do drugs or foods containing yeast
and lactobacillus
.
In 1579 the government from Tabasco declared that pozol was the typical “tabasqueña” beverage. He said: "We're in the habit, especially Chontal indians do not eat but only drink, and if they ate was very little and drank a drink that is made of its currency, which is cacao, which is a concoction something thick, and is said: pozol".
The pozol has been widely consumed in Tabasco since pre-Hispanic times. Indifferent the Europeans described pozol as a beverage that helped the indegenas to resist the heat of this tropical zone.
In Tabasco there are four different types of this beverage: the white pozol, the black pozol, the Cacao Special pozol, and the sour pozol. In the little towns and villages it is customary to drink the white pozol without sugar and with salt and fresh Chile amashito, or with sweet of papaya
called "Oreja de mico".
The pozol just as the “Pocho” dance, the “caballito blanco”, is a very representative part of the culture and variety in the State of Tabasco.
In Villahermosa
, and all Tabasco, it is common to find many places to expend pozol. There is a saying: "A visitor who arrives to Tabasco and takes pozol and likes it, takes up residence in Tabasco".
.
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
corn dough
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
and the drink made from it, which has its origins in Pre-Columbian Mexico
Pre-Columbian Mexico
The pre-Columbian history of the territory now within the contemporary nation of Mexico is known through the work of archaeologists and epigraphers, and through the accounts of the conquistadors, clergymen, and indigenous chroniclers of the immediate post-conquest period...
. To the drink, other ingredients besides corn dough and water, such as cocoa
Cocoa solids
Cocoa solids are the low-fat component of chocolate. When sold as an end product, it may also be called cocoa powder, cocoa, and cacao....
, may be added. The drink is consumed in the south of Mexico in states like Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
and Tabasco
Tabasco
Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
, and besides as a thirst-quencher, it has been used against diseases. It also aided Indigenas
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
when they made long walks across the jungles.
History
Since ancient times, the MayaMaya peoples
The Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term...
-Chontales from Tabasco
Tabasco
Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
prepared this drink with boiled cornmeal
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is flour ground from dried maize or American corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to fine, medium, and coarse consistencies. In the United States, the finely ground cornmeal is also referred to as cornflour. However, the word cornflour denotes cornstarch in recipes from the...
, cocoa
Cocoa solids
Cocoa solids are the low-fat component of chocolate. When sold as an end product, it may also be called cocoa powder, cocoa, and cacao....
, and grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
s. Initially, it was called pochotl (from nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
, "pozolli", meaning "sparkling"), but after the arrival of the Spanish in Tabasco in 1519, the name changed to the now-familiar "pozol". It was traditionally made by women by fermenting
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
corn dough, which, when dissolved in water, is eaten raw by various ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
s of southern and southeastern Mexico. In Chiapas, this drink was prepared for Mayas
Maya peoples
The Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term...
, Zoques and Chiapanecas.
Pozol is drunk throughout the day, especially by the lower classes, though it is generally used throughout the classes. In pre-Hispanic times, it was drunk mixed with cocoa, unsweetened; since the twentieth century, sugar and ice are added throughout Chiapas.
Because of its high degree of conservation, pozol cornballs were and are used by various groups as provisions for their long journeys through the jungle. Besides its use as food, the drink was used as a medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
and for ceremonies. In the past pozol balls were used by the Maya as a poultice
Poultice
A poultice, also called cataplasm, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed, or painful part of the body. It can be used on wounds such as cuts...
, as well as to prevent or treat skin infection
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
s and wounds.
Pozol also had a ceremonial importance, since pre-Hispanic times, it was used as an important component of offerings in various Maya festivities. These festivities were related to the cultivation and harvest of corn
Corn
Corn is the name used in the United States, Canada, and Australia for the grain maize.In much of the English-speaking world, the term "corn" is a generic term for cereal crops, such as* Barley* Oats* Wheat* Rye- Places :...
.
Preparation
Pozol is made by fermenting corn dough, which is rolled into balls or loafs and may be preserved in banana leafBanana leaf
Banana leaf is the leaf of the Banana plant. It is used for various functions, such as for decorative elements, wrappings, plate mat, and employed in cooking method....
. The drink, which is a "sort of whitish porridge," is made by soaking the dough in water. Common extra ingredients included chili pepper, honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
, and sugar.
The preparation of the white pozol is based on corn dough mixed with sweetened or unsweetened water. There is the choice not to sweeten it, to swallow a pinch of salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
and a slice of chili
Chili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...
before drinking (and swallowing salt mixed with chili powder). Some people from Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas also prefer to prepare sourdough
Sourdough
Sourdough is a dough containing a Lactobacillus culture, usually in symbiotic combination with yeasts. It is one of two principal means of biological leavening in bread baking, along with the use of cultivated forms of yeast . It is of particular importance in baking rye-based breads, where yeast...
. The Sour Pozol is more common in Tuxtla Gutierrez. Sour dough is left for three days and can be taken with or without sugar. It can be consumed cold and taken with salt and with dried or fresh chili. Currently, the Lacandones use pozol mixed with honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
to lower fever
Fever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
and control diarrhea
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
and other intestinal disorders, similar to using other people do drugs or foods containing yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
and lactobacillus
Lactobacillus
Lactobacillus is a genus of Gram-positive facultative anaerobic or microaerophilic rod-shaped bacteria. They are a major part of the lactic acid bacteria group, named as such because most of its members convert lactose and other sugars to lactic acid. They are common and usually benign...
.
Pozol in Tabasco
In the State of Tabasco, pozol is also a traditional drink. During the Prehispanic era, pozol was a really well appreciated beverage due to its resistance qualities, this was believed mainly in Tabasco.In 1579 the government from Tabasco declared that pozol was the typical “tabasqueña” beverage. He said: "We're in the habit, especially Chontal indians do not eat but only drink, and if they ate was very little and drank a drink that is made of its currency, which is cacao, which is a concoction something thick, and is said: pozol".
The pozol has been widely consumed in Tabasco since pre-Hispanic times. Indifferent the Europeans described pozol as a beverage that helped the indegenas to resist the heat of this tropical zone.
In Tabasco there are four different types of this beverage: the white pozol, the black pozol, the Cacao Special pozol, and the sour pozol. In the little towns and villages it is customary to drink the white pozol without sugar and with salt and fresh Chile amashito, or with sweet of papaya
Papaya
The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...
called "Oreja de mico".
The pozol just as the “Pocho” dance, the “caballito blanco”, is a very representative part of the culture and variety in the State of Tabasco.
In Villahermosa
Villahermosa
Like most of the Tabasco, Villahermosa has a tropical climate. The city specifically features a tropical monsoon climate. Temperatures during spring and summer seasons reach upwards of 40°C , with humidity levels hovering around 30% during the same period...
, and all Tabasco, it is common to find many places to expend pozol. There is a saying: "A visitor who arrives to Tabasco and takes pozol and likes it, takes up residence in Tabasco".
Pozol in Chiapas
For some of the indigenous, Pozol represents a semi-ritual to their gods. Since ancient times, the Mayas, Zoques and Chiapanecas from this state, as well as the ones from Tabasco, made this beverage based in cooked corn and cacaoCacao
Theobroma cacao also cacao tree and cocoa tree, is a small evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae , native to the deep tropical region of the Americas. Its seeds are used to make cocoa powder and chocolate...
.