Queso Besos

My mentor has recently flown me and one of my Zambian companions, Kara, to the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT for short) in Texcoco, Mexico! Our 10-day trip has been a crash coarse in maize breeding research. Since maize is the overriding theme of my thesis work, I am enjoying this trip because it allows me to get to know maize on a more intimate level. I've walked the neat rows of stalks ready for harvest with the hot sun on the back of my neck, breathing the dusty air from the dry clay from which it grew. Kara and I have learned how to score the maize cobs for color, texture and "sexiness".  Although the maize here is selectively bred, or biofortified, with various nutrients (such as provitamin A that turns the cobs bright orange) for future dissemination into other parts of the world, maize is extremely important to Mexico. In fact, it originated from here! There are corn tortillas, chips, tamales and even novel corn-based cereal flavors like Coco Zucaritas (chocolate corn flakes staring Tigre Tono).  

Sexy, orange CIMMYT maize.
Celaya, Mexico.

Farm-to-table food.
Tortillas prepared from orange maize.

The pictures above are an example of some of the maize that we harvested, as well as the final edible product. A trademark of many Mexican corn products is nixtamilization, aka treatment with lime. So for our "End-of-Harvest Fiesta", the workers nixtamilized some of our orange corn and prepared traditional corn tortillas for the meal. I was so impressed by the vibrant color of the cooked product. Maize is a-maize-ing!

But of course maize isn't the only food that Mexico has to offer. There are peppers, tequila, cactus, tomatillos, and carnitas. I had a diverse tour of Mexico cuisine, trying my best to taste the most exotic things. Below you will see a photographic description of my food adventures. And for the record, no food illness yet (knock on wood).  I think Andrew Zimmerman would be pretty proud of this Midwestern girl!  When I get back to my Madison kitchen I will set out to find the perfect homemade Salsa verde and Margarita recipes.

Rabbit cooked in cactus skin.
Tlaltizapan, Mexico. 

Beef (tongue, intestines, stomach, and ears), goat, salsa verde, tortillas.
Harvest Fiesta in Celaya, Mexico.

Cactus fruit (tuna).
"One too many will plug you up."
Celaya, Mexico.

Kara and Magic fruit.
Sherbet-like flesh with large brown seeds.
Celaya, Mexico.

Pan-fried Caterpillers
Tlaltizapan, Mexico

Mystery fruits. Very bitter!
Celaya, Mexico.

Final words: "Los besos saben con quesos"
This is an expression taught to me by a local here. It literally translates to "kisses taste like cheese."  It is a funny rhyme, really, but I think I'll always remember my experience here as one big cheesy kiss. Seductive. Exciting. Flavorful. Mexico.