Posol Božského Srdca Ježišovho 1942 Slovensko2 (cropped)

Pozole (; from nah, pozoll, meaning ''cacahuazintle'', a variety of corn or maize) is a traditional soup or stew from Mexican cuisine. It is made from hominy with meat (typically pork, but possibly chicken), and can be seasoned and garnished with shredded lettuce or cabbage, chile peppers, onion, garlic, radishes, avocado, salsa or limes. Known in Mesoamerica since the pre-Columbian era, today the stew is common across Mexico and neighboring countries, and is served both as a day-to-day meal and as a festive dish.

Description

Pozole can be prepared in many ways, but all variations include a base of cooked hominy in broth. Typically pork, or sometimes chicken, is included in the base. Vegetarian recipes substitute beans for the meat.

The three main types of pozole are ''blanco'' (white),Cookpad
Pozole Blanco
/ref> ''verde'' (green) and ''rojo'' (red). White pozole is the preparation without any additional green or red sauce. Green pozole adds a rich sauce based on green ingredients, possibly including tomatillos, epazote, cilantro, jalapeños, or pepitas. Red pozole is made without the green sauce, instead adding a red sauce made from one or more chiles, such as guajillo, piquin, or ancho.

Pozole is commonly served accompanied by a wide variety of condiments. Common condiments include chopped onion, shredded cabbage, sliced radish, avocado, limes, oregano, tostadas, chicharrón, and chiles.

Serving

Pozole is a typical dish in various states such as Nayarit, Sinaloa, Michoacán, Guerrero, Zacatecas, Jalisco, and Morelos. Pozole is served in Mexican restaurants worldwide. It is also popular (under the older spelling ''posole'') in the cuisine of New Mexico where it was a common dish among the Pueblo Indians residing along the Rio Grande.

Pozole is also a festive dish. In Mexico, pozole is typically served on New Year's Eve to celebrate the new year. Pozole is frequently served as a celebratory dish throughout Mexico and in Mexican communities outside Mexico. Other occasions for serving pozole include Mexican Independence Day, birthdays, Christmas and other holidays.

History

Pozole was mentioned in the 16th century Florentine Codex by Bernardino de Sahagún.Bernardino de Sahagún, ''Florentine Codex: General History of the Things of New Spain'' (Translation of and Introduction to Historia General de Las Cosas de La Nueva España; 12 Volumes in 13 Books ), trans. Charles E. Dibble and Arthur J. O Anderson (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1950–1982). Images are taken from Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, ''The Florentine Codex.'' Complete digital facsimile edition on 16 DVDs. Tempe, Arizona: Bilingual Press, 2009. Reproduced with permission from Arizona State University
Hispanic Research Center. Since maize was a sacred plant for the Aztecs and other inhabitants of Mesoamerica, pozole was made to be consumed on special occasions.

According to research by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History) and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, on these special occasions, the meat used in the pozole may have been human. Possible archeological evidence of mass cannibalism may support this theory, though many other explanations for this evidence have been proposed, and no eyewitness accounts of Aztec cannibalism are known to exist. Indigenous Nahua writings portray cannibalism as repugnant and abhorrent. Spanish writings included stories of wide-spread and religious cannibalism that were introduced "during post-Conquest religious conversion and Hispanicization.". A paper has been published that suggests the Aztec people received necessary protein from native fauna such as fowl and reptiles as well as beans, which were prominent for the Aztecs.

Gallery

File:WhitePozoleDF.JPG, White pozole
File:Hominy_(maize).JPG, Cooked hominy
File:Dried Maize Mote from Oaxaca.png, Dried hominy can be used for pozole, but it must be soaked and cooked.
File:Pozole.jpg, Pozole topped with sliced avocado
File:Pozole verde estilo Guerrero.JPG, Green pozole, cooked in Guerrero State fashion
File:Posole in Zihuatanejo.JPG, Green pozole, with condiments, served in Zihuatanejo (Guerrero)
File:2015EncuentroChilenero004.JPG, Red pozole, served in Mexico City
File:CondimentsPozoleDF.JPG, A plate of condiments for pozole
File:Street Food Oaxaca.jpg, Red pozole, served in Oaxaca de Juárez

See also

* Fricasé
* List of maize dishes
* List of Mexican dishes
* List of soups
* List of stews
* Menudo (soup) – a similar dish made with tripe
* Mexican cuisine

References

{{Mexican cuisine

Maize dishes
Mesoamerican cuisine
Mexican soups
Mexican stews