Yesterday while the others were finishing up some things on the purification system, Tyler and myself made our way across the street with one intention: to learn how to make tortillas. We asked Felixs’ mom “ Podemos ayudarte con las tortillas?” (Can we help you with tortillas?) She smiled with her amazing Mayan grill (no joke folks, this lady has three gold teeth that each have a letter on them) and nodded repeatedly. Mamita, we will call her, pointed upstairs and said “ Arriba, Arriba” repeatedly.
Making our way up the steps, Tyler and I feel the warmth of grandma love in our bones. Anybody would melt in the presence of this woman.
Three staircases later we come across Menche and Candelaria, the families servants. Candelaria has been working with Felix’s family for many years. Both are smiling and excited to teach us Gringos some true Mayan cooking.
They start by kneading the masa on this beautiful stone mass with legs. Tyler and I secretly covet this piece of art but know we would have to leave all behind and than some to get it back to the states. Anyway, after the kneading we step close to a wood-fire fueled stove as they show us how to slap-slap-slap the dough between our hands rapidly. Of course it looks all easy. But Tyler and I struggle to make the magic happen: Masa stuck all on our hands, giggling from both sides, we keep trying until we are making some very mediocre tortillas. Lumpy and think compared to perfectly circular and thin, we all knew who had been doing this longer. In fact, I asked them how long they had been making tortillas and both said “Diez anos” 10 years!
I must be honest with you all and say that Tyler whooped me in the tortilla making madness. I dropped 6 on the floor. As for Tyler, he didn’t drop any.
“Mi esposo es mas mejor que yo. My husband is better than me,” I stated. This was funny to them since men are rarely found in the kitchen.
When we went to lunch about an hour later, they had separated the tortillas that we made and wrapped them in a beautiful gold towel. How sweet.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
oh you guys!!! noel, thanks for sharing such a good story. i miss you all dearly. Sudan is wonderful, amazing...i love it. i'm sure you feel the same about guatemala-loving the people, the sights...and the people, more and more everyday. the internet here is rare, but i will be updating a ton when i return to the states mid next week. so you can keep up on my blog on here as well. i look forward to hearing many more stories from yall.
and tyler, happy late birthday bro.
miss you all.
steph
what a lovely story! a friend's grandma was teaching me and it is indeed harder than it looks!
Post a Comment