viva mexico
Recently I started thinking about some of the strange (and scary) items I've seen in my family's cupboards. So I decided to compile a short list of some of my favorites.
Concha de Nacar - Never mind the mercury poisoning, give me milky white skin! I remember seeing jars of this "mother of pearl" cream in everyone's bathroom cabinets. It was supposed to help get rid of acne, freckles and age spots, leaving your skin silky smooth. The version that is available now is mercury free, leading me to believe it is useless.
Tres Flores Brillantine - Anyone living near old school cholos will be familiar with the soft, delicate scent of this greasy 'do fixer-upper. Tres Flores has been keeping vatos' hair in place for as long as we can all remember. My grandma used the one that looked just like Vaseline, while my dad still favors the liquid version. All attempts to lure him to switch to anything else have been futile, he turns his nose up at our Aveda goods and sticks with his Tres Flores.
Snacks - I love Mexican food, don't get me wrong... but I don't think my people lack a little something when it comes to desserts or sweets. Sure, everyone knows about flan, tres leches cake, and pan dulce, but those were special treats we only had once in a while. When it came to everyday snacks and treats, Mexicans do things a little differently. While most of my friends were enjoying fluffy Twinkies and decadent Ding Dongs, I was nibbling on saladitos. These bad boys are still a favorite of mine, they're dried out plums that have been coated in salt (they also come covered in chili powder). We used to cut a lemon in half, wedge a saladito into the middle and lick until our eye rolled into the backs of our heads in sour/salty delight. My mouth is watering just thinking about them now.
Piloncillo (Panela or Panocha) -This one still makes me giggle like a school girl. Big chunks or cones of brown sugar cane that's used in some Mexican desserts. Some people have heard of panocha because it's also a slang term for a lady's privates.
Molcajete (mortar & pestle) - This scary looking thins can be found in almost any Mexican kitchen, my abuelita used hers to grind up chili and spices, my cousins and I used it mainly as a deadly weapon.
Percy Medicine for Diarrhea - Imagine my surprise when I discovered that this is actually an American product that has been around since 1900! One of my many cousins has the worst diarrhea in the world and this stuff is the only thing that can handle his tempestuous bowels. This miraculous elixir was known to me as "Bay-bee Pur-see" and I seem to remember a rumor that it contained some sort of toxic ingredient, but again... Mexicans won't let something as trivial as toxins get in the way of their relief.
Jesus Candles (veladoras) - Let's end on a spiritual note, shall we? I've grown up with those colorful candles encased in tall glass tubes my entire life. I still keep tons of them around, they're perfect for blackouts and emergencies - they last forever and are easy to carry around (see for yourself, they can be found on the end caps at any .99 Cent Store). My best friend and I refer to them as "Jesus candles" because the outsides are often decorated with pictures of religious icons. One of the most popular figures is San Martin Caballero. According to my grandma, keeping a candle lit in honor of San Martin will bring good luck. Oh, and if you leave a small glass of water under a picture of San Martin (for his horse, of course) you'll get good mojo as well.
FIN
