Sonoran Cuisine a Brief History

Sonora: History, Culture and Cuisine

Rene Cordova, MPH

WNPA

Tucson, AZ

MenuEnvironmental factors Prehispanic cultural legacy The Missionary experience Global Flavors The Challenges of Industrialization Culture, Cuisine and Identity Games

A lush desert (and sea)Sonoran Desert Sky Islands Canyonlands Northern limit of tropical plants Riparian corridors Gulf of California marine life Northern limit of mangroves

In the beginning it was Carne AsadaHunters and gatherers (and fishermen) 20,000 to 2,000 years ago Megafauna steak? How wild is wild? Mesquite pods, agaves, acorns Saguaro fruits, pitahayas, and other cacti Shellfish and other marine animals

Archeological Traditions

The first coursesSimplest cooking techniques: roasting, boiling, mashing Fixed mortars Atole de pechita (mesquite pods sweet soup) Carne asada Mezcal en penca (roasted agave hearts) Quelites (greens)

Mortars in the rock...

Maize, beans and chilesAgriculture arrived from Mesoamerica, 1,500 BC Huatabampo Culture Sonora River Culture/Casas Grandes Trincheras/Hohokam Irrigation, humidity and dry agriculture Hunting and gathering continues until now

Ancient leftovers...Rabbits Jackrabbits Deers Gophers Squirrels Rats (Neotoma) Herons Rattlesnakes(Paquime)

A good baseCorn is still the base of traditional dishes Beans are the perfect complement Add some herbs, greens and the occasional piece of meat Nixtamalization: the use of lime to cook maizeImprove the flavor and texture Adds calcium to diet Aids digestion

Vitamin TTortilla: a flat round unleavened bread of maize Taco: something eaten in a tortillaTacos de nada: taco shell with cabbage and salsa

Tamal: steam cooked piece of masa, can be filled or tonto, sweet or salty...Tamal de elote Tamal de frijol Tamal de pia

Tostada: a flat fried tortilla

Proud beanersNorthern pintos Southern bayos Tepari Yurimuni-Black eyed

Sudores tiernosTenderly sweating, or greens for breakfast before hard work at the cornfields... Quelites (nahuatl quillitl): leafy greens simply cooked to form a green porridge accompanied with beans or cheese.

Churches, Corn, Cows and ConservasJesuit Missions reorganized communities dispersed by early epidemics. Allowed Indian Communities to keep control of better land (and water) Left Spanish Colonists the ranching areas in the hills Missionaries organized collective work and a system of storage Cows, sheep, horses and pigs

New ingredientsCows Sheep Goats Hens Pigs Horses Wheat Fruit trees: apples, quinces, pears, dates, grapes, peaches, apricots Onions, garlic Potatoes Chocolate Sugar cane

The Anza Expedition 1775Anza FoodsHams Biscuits Chorizo Chocolate Wine Cheese Oil and vinegar Rice Spices: pepper, cloves, saffron, cinnamon,

General tableWheat flour Pinole (popcorn flour) Beans Chocolate Raw sugar RumDry meat Garbanzo beans Lard

New ways of eatingPozole Wheat Pinole Flour tortillas Beef Machaca Carne con Chile? Burritos Milk Pinole Cocido Rice Cheese Milk Fruit preserves Hard liquor Chocolate

Independence and InfluencesPorts opened to foreign trade Non-Iberian immigration and contacts Mexican migration German, French, U.S. European Luxury Trade

Melting potsSonoran Beer since 1835 European Wines Rice French Cuisine for the Elite Antojitos Canned goods Refined Sugar

Railroads and sardines1883 Guaymas is connected to Nogales by railroad Regular access to new foods: sugar, coffee, canned goods Local flour and oranges to U.S. and regional markets

Traveling FoodsIn 1881 just before the railroad started Customs in Magdalena and Sasabe seized some food items: Refined white sugar Nuts and dried apples Canned fruit, english hams and sardines Coffee Rice

New dishesCabbage and chorizo Sopa Seca/ spaghetti and tomato sauce Fiambres Vegetable creams and purees Sandwiches Hot cakes

Serrano diet, ca 1900BREAKFAST: Beans, machaca, potatoes, corn and flour tortillas, chorizo, coffee, milk, pinole DINNER: Machaca, chile con carne, pork, albondigas, cocido, zuchini and cheese, greens, cheese, lentils, garbanzo beans, fruit preserves SUPPER: Atole made from corn, wheat or garbanzo with milk or water, beans, potatoes, cheese, pozole, beef. Wild greens, opalitos, roots, dates, pitahayas,

Serrano diet, ca 1950BREAKFAST: Beans, potatoes, corn and flour tortillas, eggs, coffee, milk, pinole DINNER: Chicken,Cocido, zuchini and cheese, greens, cheese, lentils, garbanzo beans, fruit preserves SUPPER: Atole made from corn, wheat or garbanzo with milk or water, beans, potatoes, cheese, pozole. Wild greens, nopalitos, mesquite pods, dates, pitahayas,

Serrano diet, ca 1980BREAKFAST: Pinto Beans, potatoes, flour tortillas, eggs, coffee, milk. DINNER: Chicken, Cocido, zuchini and cheese, greens, cheese, lentils, garbanzo beans, canned tuna and beef, rice, soft drinks, kool aid SUPPER: Cereals, Atoles made from corn starch with milk, bread, beans, potatoes, cheese, pozole, tacos, antojitos. Wild greens, nopalitos, dates, pitahayas,

The hot dog miracleHot dogs arrived in the 1960 with burgers and industrialized meats Special bread was made for Hot dogs before industrial bread arrived in the 1970 High concentration of stands around the University of Sonora sparked creativity Now a whole meal with french fries, beans, bacon, cheese, mushrooms, guacamole, salsa, cucumbers, caramelized onions, and growing etc.

Sonoran CuisineMarked by a low self esteem as compared to other Mexican Regional Cuisines... Challenged by new flavors, ingredients and social practices of fast food and nutritional transitions Still vital and generating answers as the street sushi vendors offering carne asada rolls Relatively prosper society without a real tradition of fine dining or experimentation Strong regional identity keeps traditional foods if only as nostalgia experiences.

Foreseeable futureA reinvigoration of traditional ingredients and plates is urgent and going on A new offer of nice places to have old dishes Reexamine the nutritional value of the traditional diet (Serrano 1900) New experimentation with global influences More junk food and fast food besides a slow food/organic movement starting with coffee.

Thank you!