Otomí gastronomy comprises a series of quite curious dishes and recipes, having as main ingredients the different species of plants and animals that inhabit the lands of central Mexico, areas where they live. Discover here everything related to the Food of the Otomi!
Food of the Otomi
The Otomi natives originally inhabited the Valley of Mexico, in what is now busy Mexico City, however they were migrating to other surrounding areas due to constant invasions from other indigenous cultures, which included the Aztecs.
They settled in the lands that are currently the states of Querétaro, Guanajuato, Michoacán, México and Tlaxcala. It is a community where traditions still prevail and they try to cling to their native customs, even with the passage of time and the presence of other cultures.
Today almost all members of these communities speak Spanish, but many still retain their primary language of yesteryear, Otomi.
They generally inhabited very arid areas, which make agriculture difficult, requiring frequent irrigation. However, agriculture continues to be one of the important trades of the inhabitants of the Otomi communities these days.
On the family lands they usually sow corn, beans, broad beans, wheat and oats, in addition to the famous maguey, a plant from which mead is extracted for the preparation of pulque, important in the economy and diet of the Otomí people of the region and that allows establishing the boundaries between the lands of each owner.
In the regions where the Otomí settle, livestock and poultry farming did not have much relevance, being considered secondary activities. They usually have a few species in the patios of houses and surrounding land, with a small number of animals that are part of the Otomi diet. Generally, species such as sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and turkeys can be found in these communities.
Their homes are usually small, generally made in structures made of adobe, stones or maguey leaves, they are usually quite low, being hidden between groups of cacti and are usually distant from each other. They are people who live in quite humble conditions, but even so, the food of the Otomi is quite good.
The food of the Otomi is closely related to their ideas regarding good health and the best way to prevent or heal some conditions and ailments. It is also seen as an important element or reason for family and social coexistence, without forgetting that it is also related to spiritual and religious life.
The Otomi have learned since ancient times to take advantage of every available resource, since much of what surrounds them can be part of a recipe.
They have maintained their forms and customs to prepare their food even with the passage of time and the changes that it brings, so their dishes retain flavors and textures of antiquity. It shares a key ingredient with other cultures, such as corn, which has been present in many recipes for centuries and has remained the same until now, as can be seen in the Otomí story.
Certain foods that are widely used in the rest of Mexico, tend to be of little use in the diet of the Otomi from remote times to the present day, especially because they are humble communities that reside in very arid areas.
Currently, for the Otomi, the economic issue also greatly influences the inclusion of certain foods in their daily diet, for example, fruits and vegetables that are not from the locality, bread and other wheat products, rice, coffee, sugar, pasta, lentils, peas, broad beans and peanuts are almost inaccessible products for these communities.
In general, Otomí cuisine is simple, dishes based on local ingredients that are accompanied with tortillas. Vegetables and plants are often served boiled in generous portions. Generally, Otomi families have two meals a day, one in the morning and the main one in the afternoon.
Even when they consume many vegetables and insects, they usually hunt and gather, thus obtaining other ingredients that are used in the preparation of their recipes and that are key in the diet of the Otomí.
The diet of the Otomi includes foods that for many are somewhat peculiar, for example, larvae or eggs of certain insects, which are usually found on the stems and trunks of plants, on leaves and branches or on the ground. It also includes some mammals, birds, fruits, legumes and vegetables from the area. They consume wild plants from the area, such as garambullo, maguey or mezcal flowers, among others.
As in different areas of Mexico, the diet of the Otomí is mainly focused on dishes made with corn, generally tortillas, accompanied by beans and chili peppers. The ingredients that complement the food of the Otomí are generally those that are easily accessible in the locality where they reside. Of these we can mention the fermented agave juice or pulque.
They consume meat in small portions, mainly from sheep or goats, as they are species that are easily raised in these arid zones. The same goes for the consumption of milk, eggs and poultry.
Beans are consumed in less quantity than in other Mexican areas, on the contrary, in the diet of the Otomíes, the intake of chili in large quantities is very frequent. To dress and provide flavor, small portions of onion, garlic, green tomatillo and tomatoes are used. Lard is commonly used as fat in small amounts.
The area's edible plants, including cacti, are used as ingredients for daily meals, generally growing wild during rainy seasons and considered by many to be weeds. Some of the plants that the Otomi diet includes are:
- Malva, widely used for its healing properties, this leaf is rich in vitamin A, C, B complex, tannins, essential oils and mucilage.
- Nopales and prickly pears, belonging to the cacti family, the nopal is the plant whose penca can be eaten as a vegetable, with very low caloric value, rich in water and fiber, whose fruit known as prickly pear, is consumed frequently, providing good amounts of potassium and calcium.
- Maguey or Garambullo flowers, also known as gualumbos, gualumbos or quinotos, are small flowers between green and yellow of the agave, which represent a delight for many diners.
- Cassava, cassava or tapioca, is a root native to Central America where there are many varieties, some very edible, others dangerous and unusable. The species for consumption are very rich in carbohydrates and sugars.
- Purslane or vinaigrette, a plant with a mild flavor and a little acid, is consumed in its entirety, stems, leaves and flowers, cooked or raw. It is rich in omega-3, vitamins A, beta carotene, B1, B2, B3, C and E, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, amino acids, bioflavonoids and antioxidants.
- Quelites or kuarra brings together several Mexican herbaceous plants considered suitable for consumption and generally wild, encompassing up to 500 varieties. They are eaten raw and cooked, because they are rich in vitamins, minerals, folic acid and fiber.
- Xocoyol, herbaceous plants with an acid flavor that are used in a wide variety of cooked or raw dishes, such as pot mole, tacos, beans and plain with salt.
- Turnip leaves and root, both are consumed raw or cooked in salads, broths, stews, tortillas, etc. They are sources of vitamin C, A, calcium, folate, iron and fiber.
- Cow tongue, this perennial herb, also known as mother-in-law's tongue, is often eaten in salads.
- Endive is a slightly bitter leafy vegetable widely used in the preparation of salads.
In this culture there is a well-known saying: everything that runs and flies, goes to the pot, making it very clear that if it is edible it can be used, that is why many recipes include ant eggs, larvae, bedbugs, bats, skunks, squirrels, etc. The truth is that both mammals, insects, vegetables and flowers can be prepared fried, stewed or boiled in the Otomí kitchen and shared in community to strengthen ties and identity.
The corn
Corn, as in many of the original cultures of America, is a basic food that is generally prepared as tortillas or hmm, an irreplaceable part in the diet of the Otomi.
Nixtamal or khuni is prepared in large saucepans, which consists of a mixture of corn and water with lime, which is left to cook all night and then left to rest, then rinsed and ground, before in the metate, today in the mill. of the community or their own.
The metate was a square grinding stone, used by many native cultures, such as the Otomí, today many homes have a manual mill that is fixed to a piece of wood in the kitchen. Once the cooked corn is ground on the metate or in the mill, it is transformed into a dough, which is ground again on a smaller metate in the kitchen, usually near the stove.
Then balls of dough are taken between the hands and flattened to prepare the tortillas, nowadays metal molds are almost always used to make tortillas, allowing them to be thinner and larger.
The tortillas are prepared daily and several times, since they are usually eaten in different ways or as an accompaniment to other dishes that depend on the social and economic position of the native. There are some variations of the tortilla in the Otomi diet, which depend a lot on its thickness or filling:
- Tlacoyos are a type of tortilla filled with beans.
- Poti or cat heads: thicker than normal tortillas, with beans as a filling, which are wrapped in papatla or šiza leaves.
With different accompaniments that go from hot sauce to beans and eggs, the different native cultures, including the Otomí, consume these tortillas in considerable quantities at any time of the day. During harvest time, when the corn is ripening, it is eaten with hot sauce and some herbs for flavouring.
However, it is not the only thing that an Otomí woman can prepare with corn, there are other very common recipes in the kitchen of this culture where they use this ingredient, some of these are:
Tamales
Tamales or khãti are buns or balls of dough filled with meat stews and ground chili, cooked in clay pots and are usually dishes prepared for parties, ceremonies and special moments. The tamale is wrapped in corn husks to cook them in enough water. There are a wide variety of tamales:
- Piques or n'yãtokhuni: these buns are made with corn dough, ground or whole beans and butter, wrapped in corn husks and cooked in water.
- Pintos or makhu, similar to piques, with some extra ingredients
- Trabucos or hošiza: it is a variety of tamale, more elongated, currently prepared with corn dough, mixed with artisanal sweetener that they call piloncillo and peanuts, they are often made by mixing corn dough and pipián pumpkin, rolled in papatla leaves, Su preparation is very usual in the Day of the Dead festivities.
- Neuctamalli, a variety of tamale made with corn dough and maguey honey, very popular in the celebrations of the god Yocippa.
- Xocotamalli or sour tamale: made with sour corn dough by exposure to the heat of the stove for twenty-four hours. This dough is spread out and filled with beans, flat chili and cheese, rolled up and cut into pieces, which are then wrapped in corn husks and steamed.
- Tecoco is another type of tamale that is usually prepared by the Otomi community, currently known as gordita or a type of corn dough arepa, mixed with lard and salt, stuffed with ground beans seasoned with onion, mint and chili until remain as a paste, it is known as alverjón, These are cooked on the griddle or comal. In the Otomí community, especially in the Sierra de Hidalgo, the filling is varied, instead of the bean paste, a combination of cheese with ancho chili, pea paste or chicharrón with chili. It is also prepared as a tamale stuffed with alverjón and wrapped in corn husks.
corn atole or corn
Corn atole or t'ẽi mãša, is a drink prepared with white corn dough cooked in water until thick and sweet spices and brown sugar are added. There are very particular variations of this hot drink in the diet of the Otomi:
- Sour atole, prepared with generally black corn dough, subjected to the fermentation process, dissolved in water and put on the fire so that it takes on the desired thickness.
- Atole Cachirul, made with dry, raw and ground colored corn soaked and fermented for 24 hours, which is then strained, the water obtained is heated little by little to thicken, salt, pumpkin seeds and ground guajillo chilies are added. It is eaten very hot and is usually accompanied by corn toast.
The tostadas are usually prepared with corn dough, preferably colored grains. The dough is salted and thin tortillas are made that are cooked on the griddle, scraping each one with the central part of a corn without grains, to prevent it from puffing up. They are left to rest for a day and placed again on the griddle until they dehydrate and are well toasted.
Depending on the taste and the occasion, the Otomi women in charge of food and drinks could add fruits to the atole:
- peach atole or I wish you, sweetened with sugar.
- Orange atole and bitter orange atole or t'éi iši
- Blackberry atole or you poti
- Atole de tempesquite or pears, It is usually served at carnival parties.
- cocoa atole or s'itekhu
- Peanut atole or t'ei khumhoi
The atole is usually served on holidays and celebrations, the variation that is served depends on the situation to be celebrated or the taste of the community. However, it is a drink that is also given as a main food to young children.
Insects and other small animals
The area where the Otomi communities live is usually quite arid, but there are some that are much more extreme, for example in the lower area of the mountains, the climate allows the communities only two maize harvests each year, allowing the communities not to suffer from lack of this food for a long time.
However, the communities located in lands with lower and harsher temperatures, dry and infertile soils, do present serious problems in terms of food production, often suffering shortages and prolonged famines.
So these natives have learned to survive and feed themselves by hunting and consuming insects and larvae, which live in trunks or grass, being since then an essential part of the Otomi diet.
Many groups, such as those that live in Santa Ana Hueytlalpan and San Pedro Tlachichilco, learned to use and make the most of the few resources that their environment offers them. In the past and even in the present, these natives supplemented their diet with corn, maguey, oak, tepozán and jarilla worms.
In addition, insects are trapped such as: green grasshoppers, ants and their larvae, chicalas (giant ants), etc. Some also consume snails which they call poši'ye, turtles or šaha, lizards, frogs and Mexican axolotls. Many of these animals are baked, toasted, fried, dehydrated, dried in salt and ground, functioning as a complement to the Otomi diet.
The diet of the Otomi includes ingredients that can be a bit strange, a great variety of worms, larvae and insects, as well as plants and flowers, which they usually prepare and eat with pleasure. Demonstrating to those who study and closely follow that both plants and insects can be very nutritious.
Typical dishes
For each culture, their food has a special meaning, they speak to the world about the places they belong to, their customs and their way of life. The food of the Otomi is no exception, their ingredients and dishes let us see part of the history of this community.
Their cuisine focuses on the resources provided by the semi-desert areas where they live, stews and stews with nopal, purslane, quelites, cacti, xoconostle, aloe, prickly pears, maguey worms and jinicuiles being quite common.
Other products of the region that stand out among their recipes are: rabbit, skunk, squirrel, field rat, snakes, escamoles or ant eggs, among others. The flavor and texture of an Otomi dish is due to its preparation in stoves and firewood, but above all to the creativity and inventiveness that leads them to make the most exotic combinations of local ingredients.
Sharing food is for the Otomi a way to reinforce their identity, maintain their memories and strengthen their relationship with the community. It is proper that food is served on large plates and trays, so that all participants in the meal take food from them. The most common recipes in the diet of the Otomi include:
- rabbit mole
- corn gorditas
- Phaxy (cooked vegetables).
- Ndho (cereals and grains)
- Ximbo, chicken or pork meat stew, served in maguey leaves and baked underground.
- Tamales with baked rabbit.
- Chicharras rolled in avocado leaves and cooked in walnut sauce.
- Mole with pumpkin seeds.
- Weathered nopal cake.
- Aloe flower with shrimp.
- Jicama salad.
- Coyote on barbecue.
- Skunk stuffed with insects.
- Napolitos salad.
- Breaded flowers.
- Squirrel broth.
Typical drinks
In Mexican lands, various drinks are distilled from agave, typical drinks from various regions and that are recognized not only in their country, but in the world.
The agave is a plant of the Asparagaceae group, of the succulent type, characterized by storing much more water than normal plants. This type of plant is grown in significant quantities in Jalisco, Oaxaca and San Luis Potosí, to produce the emblematic drinks of Mexico.
However, in many other states they are grown in smaller quantities, to maintain the production of other drinks that are not as well known, but are popular among the inhabitants of the community. Different drinks are made in Mexico from agave juice, some of them very famous, such as:
- Tequila: product of the juice released by the Weber Azul agave.
- Mezcal: made from the distillation of the heart of the maguey, so each type of agave produces a different mezcal.
- Sotol: a type of drink that was considered extinct until recently, it is produced by hand distilling the wild agave Dasylirion, a variety of the plant native to the Chihuahuan desert.
- Raicilla: made from the lechuguilla agave, a wild variety from the state of Jalisco, it is a strong and little-known drink.
- Bacanora: after cooking, fermenting and distilling the Angustifolia Haw type agave or viviparous agave, one of the strongest alcoholic beverages in the world is obtained.
In the case of the Otomi communities, the elaboration of Pulque is common. This pre-Hispanic drink is produced from the fermentation of mead obtained from agave Salmiana or maguey pulquero as it is often called in the communities.
Pulque is prized and widely consumed among the Otomi communities, however, it is now very frequently consumed in different areas of the country, such as Mexico City, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, San Luis. Potosi, Guadalajara, Tlaxcala and Veracruz.
It turns out to be a versatile drink, it can be taken natural or cured and used as an ally in gastronomy, being the main ingredient in different recipes of traditional cuisine, such as drunk sauce and pulque chicken.
Using pulque, a drink known as cured is prepared, typical of Mexico and obtained by mixing pulque, fruit and a sweetener that can be honey or sugar. It is very common to prepare curing with red prickly pears, strawberries, guava or more innovative mixtures such as chocolate, nuts or chili.
It is important to note that fruits do not have much relevance in the diet of the Otomí, since fruit trees are scarce, being the nopal fruit, known as prickly pear or kãhã, the most important in the diet of these communities.
Pulque has a very short shelf life, in optimal conditions, protected from the sun, rain, insects, high temperatures or dirt, it can last between three and five days maximum, from the moment it leaves the tinacal. To last the maximum of five days it is recommended to refrigerate it at a temperature between five and seven degrees. The expiration of the same depends largely on the care given to the product.
It is consumed by the majority of the population, in large quantities and with great regularity, as it is considered by the Otomi to be a drink rich in nutrients that replaced meat in the daily diet. Pulque is consumed by people of all ages, including babies and young children who drink it daily and frequently.
It is estimated that the consumption of pulque among Otomi men was between one and two liters a day as a minimum, however on festival days, ceremonies and markets it is common for them to overdo it, reaching a state of drunkenness even when the alcohol content of this preparation is definitely low compared to other drinks, between 3 and 5 percent.
Another traditional drink is the well-known sugarcane liquor, regularly used in ceremonies, festivals and rituals, it is known as séi or binu. It is usually consumed in large quantities because its price is low, even though its production is usually prohibited in certain areas, since its excessive intake is usually the cause of situations of violence during indigenous festivals or celebrations.
El bitter It is a drink made with cane liquor and pericón and lemon balm tea, consumed in some communities.
Cane pulque is also made, considered the drink of the Otomi ancestors, produced from the juice or liquid obtained from grinding sugar cane, which is subsequently subjected to a fermentation process using the bark of Palo de Bienvenido, Spring or Yusei. Some communities in Tierra Caliente prepare the so-called tepache, a product obtained from fermented pineapple juice.
Pulque elaboration
Pulque is the result of the fermentation of a liquid compound released by the maguey or agave. This plant almost a decade after being transplanted and before the appearance of its central stem and the respective flowers it supports, the central area must be removed, resulting in a cup-like cavity.
The liquid released by the leaves accumulates in this improvised container and is collected daily with a tube made from an elongated gourd.
The walls or faces of the cup are scraped every day, so that the liquid continues to flow lightly from the leaves. This liquid, known as aguamiel, is generally very sweet, since it contains high concentrations of sucrose, which the agave uses to cover its energy requirements, especially due to the rapid growth of the stem and flowers.
The liquid obtained from the plant is artificially introduced into a culture of pulque prepared in advance, which is then left to ferment between ten and twelve days until it reaches its optimum point. Once this has happened, it is important that the pulque is consumed within 48 hours, since the fermentation process does not stop and breaks down the drink.
Pulque has a slightly cloudy and milky appearance, due to fermentation. It usually has a slightly acidic flavor, but not so much to dislike, although this acidity is perhaps what prevents the proliferation and development of organisms harmful to humans, since its preparation is not usually in environments with strict hygiene measures. A bacterium from the agave leaf responsible for producing alcohol in the fermentation process, is also responsible for releasing all the vitamin compounds present in honey water.
It is said that in ancient times it was considered a supplement that provides vitamins to the body, especially in times of intense drought, to avoid famine and the deaths it generates. A nutritional analysis of pulque indicates that honey water, when subjected to the fermentation process, increases its vitamin content, such as thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and also has high concentrations of vitamin C, complex B, D and E, iron, phosphorus, acids and minerals.
It is also presumed that the natives ingested it to improve conditions of the digestive tract and the kidneys, in the first twenty-four hours after its preparation, when the beneficial bacteria for the body are present in the drink.
Nutrition
There are different studies on the nutritional situation of many Otomi communities, these driven by their situation, since they represent one of the most economically impoverished groups in the Mexican nation, living in sterile and arid lands.
They are considered one of the most depressed in the country, with a simple diet and few foods that are generally considered necessary for a balanced diet, with a good nutritional pattern, such as meat, milk and its derivatives, fruits and vegetables.
However, it can be very surprising that even with a diet that many may describe as insufficient in basic foods for good nutrition, the diet of the Otomi, which usually focuses on the consumption of corn tortillas, pulque, beans and elements typical of the regions where they reside, mostly cover the requirements of their body.
The age-old custom of including every conceivable edible in their daily diet, which has been maintained over time, turned out to be quite a good practice, as serious nutritional deficiencies are not often noticed, staying below XNUMX percent.
It is considered that even when the regions they inhabit are not very fertile, productive and quite arid, characterized by the great poverty of their communities over time, reasons why the Otomi developed a way of living and eating adapted to this.
Meals and ceremonies
Food and ceremonies are always closely linked; When it comes to festivities, rituals and important ceremonies of the Otomi ritual calendar, the menu changes surprisingly. The food during the holidays improves remarkably, with respect to the daily one. Stews of different types of very refined meat are prepared and tasted, being generally chicken or turkey meat and the well-known mole or May
The mole is reserved both for pagan-Christian festivals and rituals and for celebrations of the Catholic religion, this being very common in all these native communities. That is why in festivities such as carnival and All Saints' Day, large gatherings are held where food plays a leading role.
Another of the most appreciated dishes is the Pascal a paste or cream made with sesame seeds, dried chilies and chicken or turkey meat broth, served with river lobster.
You can not miss figures that imitate humans and animals of sugar loaf and decorated in colors for the altar of All Saints' Day, making this an exhibition full of joy and color. Two highly esteemed dishes for certain Otomi communities are barbecue or thũmkø and the zacahuil. Reserved for very special occasions because they include quite expensive ingredients, they are usually prepared only on holidays and important ceremonies.
El thũmkø , is made with lamb meat, cooked in the oven with maguey leaves. But the secret of this dish is the place where it is cooked, an oven made on the ground, a hole is dug in the ground a little more than a meter deep approximately.
This hole is completely covered with stones, which must begin to heat up one day before placing the meat, it is covered with maguey leaves. The piece of meat must be seasoned to taste, but lightly, wrapped in maguey leaves and placed in a container, preferably metal or heat resistant, so that the juice or consommé that it releases when cooked remains accumulated in the container.
Finally, the oven is covered with maguey leaves, stones, and earth, and then a fire is lit over the oven with ocote wood, cactus, dry grass, and, if necessary, charcoal. The meat is left to cook for about twelve hours.
El zacahuil, is made with chicken or pork meat, which is seasoned in a very particular way. In the metate, corn, chili, cloves, pepper, cinnamon, garlic, salt, sesame, broad beans, butter and carrots are ground, this will have the appearance of a dough, with which the piece of meat will be covered, which will then be It will be wrapped in papatla leaves.
This is cooked in an oven just like the one used for barbecue, with the difference that in this case maguey leaves are not placed, but ferns or papatla. The piece of meat is left in the underground oven for about five hours.
In ceremonies and parties it is impossible to omit the variety of atoles prepared by the Otomiès, with three being the most served on special occasions:
- Sour corn atole or išt'êi, which they usually prepare with black corn, soaked and fermented for a day, to which piloncillo is added.
- Sweet corn atole or you, in this case made with white corn without soaking in water and lime, to which piloncillo is also added to taste.
- The white corn atole or t'ašt'éi, which has as its main ingredient the so-called ash corn, which is nothing more than the grain that is previously left submerged between lime and ashes.
Otomi ceremonial tortillas
Made for the harvest festivities, which are associated with the Catholic celebration of the Holy Cross, the Otomi ritual tortillas are prepared with dedication and care as an offering to their divinities, at the festivities of some Patron Saint.
This pre-Hispanic tradition is an important part of the identity of the Otomí people, their bond with nature and the ancestral custom of planning the social and religious life of the community and the family around the sowing, cultivation and harvesting of corn, their sacred seed.
The tortillas are made with the corn dough and placed on the griddle for cooking, halfway through this process they are removed from the heat, marked with ink and the seal and placed again on the griddle so that the pigment is fixed. to the dough Tortillas are generally offered as a symbol of gratitude for everything received.
Decorating the tortillas is part of an ancient harvest ritual, which was carried out with the main intention of thanking Mother Earth for all the food that in her kindness gave to the community.
The stamps to mark the tortillas are made of mesquite wood, the inks and pigments are made with muicle or moyotl, a plant to which multiple medicinal benefits are attributed.
The dye is extracted from the leaves and stems of the plant and is a purple-blue tone, mixed with cochineal, an insect that proliferates in nopales, and other natural pigments, so it is not difficult to appreciate tortillas with illustrations in red colors. purple, orange or blue.
They say that the resulting tones and colors reflect the experience and gifts of the cook who makes them, therefore the darker they are, the greater wisdom and experience in the kitchen.
The drawings of the tortillas are usually associated with the deity or saint of the occasion, the reason for the festivity and nature, generally figures of animals and plants are displayed on the entire surface of the tortilla.
Women and food of the Otomi
In the Otomi communities, tasks have been assigned according to sex since ancient times, with cooking and food being an issue and an exclusive responsibility of women. The food is prepared solely by the women, who usually get up first thing in the morning, before the rest of the family, to light the stove and start preparing the food.
It is important that everything is ready very early, because the men must go out to the field and before that they need to sit down for the simšũti or lunch, generally beans, tortillas, hot sauce, among other dishes. The men usually eat first than all the other members of the family, located in short chairs and almost never use the table.
The rest of the family, women and children, wait in the kitchen for the men to finish their food and leave, so they can eat their food.
The sihme, or evening meal, is usually eaten when the men return from their jobs, usually between four and five in the afternoon. It is common for this meal to prepare tortillas, wheat flour cake, coffee, etc.
When the days in the field are long and require more effort, for example at harvest time, cleaning of the milpas, etc., it is possible that the men do not return home until very late and the adult and young women must carry the food to the field for the men to eat.
The Otomí custom dictates that visitors should be invited to arrive when food is being served, it being a tradition that they first reject the invitation and then accept it. The utensils mostly used by the Otomí women of yesteryear and the present in the preparation of the family meal are:
- clay pots or s'ø'e, useful for preparing nixtamal, tamales, boiled vegetables, etc.
- comales or Toyo: kind of plate used to make corn dough tortillas.
- Jars and jars to carry and store water or pulque.
- Wooden buckets or trays
- Wooden spoons and whisks.
- Baskets and wicker baskets to store the corn that is consumed in the house.
- Palm fans to light and fan the flames of the stove.
In addition to many ceramic, metal, wood and vegetable fiber utensils that are used to transport, store, stir, shake or wrap, when preparing food and drinks.
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