The Corn Fair

Last weekend Alejandro and I went to the "Feria del Maíz" (Corn Fair) which was held on the "Plaza de la República" by the Monument to the Revolution.

A statue of Chicomecoátl, the Aztec goddess of corn, fertility and agriculture.

The fair included a variety of workshops on topics such as making handmade tortillas.  In a large tent there was an outdoor museum on agricultural biodiversity.  There were displays from various agricultural areas within the boundaries of Mexico City.  As amazing as it may seem, there are large rural tracts in the far southern limits of the city where farmers are growing the traditional crops of Mexico... corn, of course, being the most important.

Over the millennia, more than 60 different variety of corn were developed in Mexico.

They all descend from "teocintle", a wild grain that was domesticated 10,000 years ago.

¡Sin maíz no hay país!

Without corn, there is no country!

There are more than 600 Mexican dishes whose basis is corn.

The picture shows the nine varieties of corn that are most commonly cultivated.

The "Casa de Semillas" is a seed bank that guards more than 1,500 samples in order to protect the genetic diversity of Mexican corn.

In their "milpas" or cultivated fields, Mexican farmers grow other crops in addition to corn.

Among them are beans, "chiles", and squash.

"Chiles" have been cultivated in Mexico for more than 6000 years.

There are more than 100 varieties, and they range from the mild "pimiento marrón" (bell pepper) to the incendiary "habanero".

Here I'm posing with a fellow dressed as an "axolotl", the endangered, salamander-like amphibian that lives in the remaining canals on the south side of Mexico City.

There was musical entertainment on a stage set up at the far end of the plaza.

Here they are playing "Quizás, Quizás, Quizás" (Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps), a classic oldie from 1947 that, like many Latin songs from that era, gained popularity in the United States.

There were also more than 250 vendors preparing traditional, corn-based Mexico dishes.  We could have had a feast here, but we weren't really hungry yet.  We did have a couple of tamales, and from this lady we ordered two "tlacoyos".

"Tlacoyos" are a dish of pre-Hispanic origin.  An oval patty of corn dough is filled with frijoles, and fried on the griddle.  It is a favorite of mine, and it's been a long since I have had one.  So, we HAD to order some.  In fact, when I read about this fair and the foods that would be offered, that was one of the reasons I wanted to come here.  The "tlacoyo" did not disappoint! 

Shortly after devouring our "tlacoyos", it began to rain.  So we headed back to the Metrobus stop and went back to the apartment.