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Long-form pieces that expand on the videos: context, sources, full recipes and field notes.
Before Salsa: The Long History of Chile in Mexico
From wild chile to salsa made in a molcajete: a story of domestication, markets, rituals, and global journeys that began thousands of years before Mexico existed.
August 2026
What came first: the Maya, the Toltecs, or the Aztecs? A straightforward timeline
A clear timeline for understanding who came first among the Maya, Toltecs, and Mexica, where their histories overlapped, and why Mesoamerica cannot be told as a simple succession of empires.
August 2026
Mexican Lotería: From European Drawings to the Call Across the Table
From European drawings to Mexican fairs, lotería traveled across centuries before bringing together the rooster, the mermaid, and the dandy. This is the story of its images, its calls, and the deck that turned chance into a shared conversation.
August 2026
Chiles en Nogada: A Recipe, Patience and a Well-Served Legend
A recipe for unbattered chiles en nogada, with a fruit, meat and spice picadillo, a silky nogada and tips for serving them at their best, along with a look at the documented history apart from the legend.
August 2026
The Metal That Remembers: Hammered Copper in Santa Clara
From Mesoamerican metallurgical knowledge to today’s workshops in Santa Clara del Cobre: a story of fire, rhythm, adaptation and Purépecha memory written in hammer blows.
August 2026
August Chiles: How to Choose Them, Roast Them and Preserve Their Flavor
A seasonal guide to choosing poblanos, serranos, jalapeños and chilacas, roasting them without erasing their nuances, and safely preserving them so August lasts a little longer.
August 2026
San Juan Parangaricutiro: The Town the Lava Could Not Erase
Parícutin was born in 1943 in a Michoacán milpa and forever transformed the lives of two Purépecha communities. This is the story of old San Juan Parangaricutiro, its church amid the lava, and the town that was founded again far from the volcano.
August 2026
Fresh huitlacoche: how to clean it, cook it, and let it speak for itself
A guide to choosing, cleaning, cooking, and seasoning fresh huitlacoche without ruining its texture, with ideas for quesadillas, soups, and tamales, and a note of caution about poorly substantiated historical accounts.
August 2026
Avocado: The Long History of Mexico’s Green Gold
From the Tehuacán Valley to markets around the world: the long history of the avocado, its place in Mexican cuisine, and the light and shadow of the so-called green gold.
August 2026
Five Mexican Artisan Towns You Have to Visit
A route through San Bartolo Coyotepec, Santa Clara del Cobre, Santa María del Río, San Pablito, and Tonalá to discover clay, metal, textiles, paper, and ceramics in local workshops, with tips for buying in an informed and respectful way.
August 2026
Did El Dorado Really Exist? From the Man Covered in Gold to the Impossible City
El Dorado was not a city of gold, but a legend born from Muisca ceremonies and transformed by conquistadors, chroniclers, and European maps into an impossible kingdom.
August 2026
Colossal Olmec heads: the faces that made mountains travel
Seventeen basalt faces sum up a political, artistic, and logistical feat. We explore who carved the colossal Olmec heads, when they were created, where they were found, and what archaeology can—and cannot—say about the people they portray.
August 2026
5 ways to cook with chapulines: from the comal to the table
Five practical ways to cook chapulines—in salsa, antojitos, seasonings, everyday dishes, and aromatic fats—along with their history, comal techniques, and key safety tips.
August 2026
Barro negro: the earth that learned to hold the night
From the clay bench to the low-oxygen kiln: the history, technique, and transformation of barro negro from San Bartolo Coyotepec, with the decisive contribution of Doña Rosa and the work of generations of potters.
August 2026
Nixtamal: The Boiling Process That Turned Corn into Sustenance
Water, corn, lime, resting and grinding: nixtamalization may seem simple, but it transforms the grain into a nutritious, pliable masa deeply connected to the everyday history of Mexico.
August 2026
The Piñata: A Story Made to Be Broken
From the European pignatta to the posadas of Acolman and cartonería workshops: a journey through the documented history, symbols and transformations of the piñata in Mexico.
August 2026
Alebrijes: The Young Monsters Mexico Turned into Tradition
Alebrijes did not emerge from a pyramid or appear in the codices: they were born in the 20th century, between Pedro Linares’s cartonería workshop and the Oaxacan carvings that later transformed the idea. This is the story of a young, collective tradition that is still evolving.
August 2026
Xoloitzcuintle: The Dog That Walked Alongside Mesoamerica
From the meaning of its name to its connection with Xólotl and Mesoamerican burials: a history of the xoloitzcuintle without easy myths, but grounded in archaeology, genetics and a wealth of memory.
August 2026
From Copal to Creature: How a Fantastic Carving Is Born in Oaxaca
From the tree chosen with patience to the final dot of paint: we follow the process behind the fantastic copal carvings made in Oaxaca’s Central Valleys, with their tools, timelines, family knowledge and the essential care of the forest.
August 2026
Guelaguetza: The Celebration That Begins with a Gift
Long before it became the grand spectacle of July, guelaguetza was the name for a Zapotec way of giving, reciprocating and building community. We trace its roots, its historical transformation and the many celebrations that now fit under the same word.
August 2026
How to Make Mole: Technique, Patience and a Pot Full of Mexico
A historical and practical guide to understanding how mole is made: from toasting and grinding to patient cooking, with its Indigenous roots, colonial influences and many regional variations.
August 2026
Molcajete: The Story of a Stone That Still Cooks
From pre-Hispanic Mexico to the contemporary kitchen, the molcajete has been used to grind, mix and transform foods for centuries. Its history is tied to corn, chiles, stoneworking trades and a way of cooking in which the tool itself also contributes to the flavor.
August 2026