Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Blue corn tortillas off the street

Last night, I had my first experience eating food off of the street. I have been repeatedly told not to, but I will only live in Mexico once. Moreover, I resist the savory smells that come from stands on the street on a daily basis. On my way to work in the morning, I am woken up by the aura of tacos, quesadillas, flautas and more as I enter the metro station. At the institute, almost two entire blocks are taken up by food vendors where people chow down on fried tortillas layered with re-fried beans and cotija cheese.

Returning to last night's adventure; it was the sight of blue corn tortillas that made me stop in the first place. Blue corn chips from the states are my favorite, so I had to try fresh, hand-made blue corn tortillas. I hoped that she would have vegetarian fillings, as there was a two-foot long slab of sausage sizzling on the grill. Luckily, she had something I would eat: flor de calabaza (flowers of gourds) and hongos (black fungi). Not only did I enjoy every last bite of my street food, but I managed to not get sick the next day.

While my friend Will and I were eating, we learned the origin of the maseca and a little background information on the chef herself. The maseca is brought to her from Puebla daily. She has been at the stand for eight years now and is open from 8-12, Monday through Saturday. She used to be open from 8-2, but crime in the area has caused her to cut her hours short. If you are interested, I will take you there. As you can see, I am looking for an excuse to go back.

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