Brujería: Getting Witchy in Latin America
This melting pot doubles as a cauldron, you know.
by Brian Alcamo
Those who have visited already know that Latin America is filled with excitement, adventure, and even magic.
The term brujería has come into public consciousness in the past few years. Beyond cool looking social media posts, the practice has a long and extensive history. In fact, brujería is a bit of a catch-all word. Literally translated to “witchcraft,” the word also refers to multiple spiritual practices historically employed by Caribbean, African, and indigenous Latin Americans. Generally speaking, brujería includes honoring the planet earth (through goddesses such as Oshun and Elegua), cleansing, ancestor worship, and lighting candles. Sometimes, wearing specific clothes, singing or chanting, and preparing sacred offerings are part of practices as well.
Yoruba, for instance, is a thousands-year old religion hailing from West Africa. It blended with indigenous practices and Roman Catholicism to form Santeria (also called Lucimi). An Afro-Cuban religion that emerged in Latin America during the 15th and 16th Century in response to Spanish colonization, the religion lives on to this day. It is a complex folk religion with an entire pantheon of Orishas— manifestations of Oludumare, or God. Most of these deities were borrowed from Yoruba, and some of them have alter egos among the Catholic saints. They are often exclusively communicated with through collaboration with trained, initiated followers. Santería favors ritual correctness over personal belief, so if you want to try your hand at accessing some of the religion’s power, make sure you find a trustworthy santero.
A Santería Celebration in Cuba
While Santería is the result of colonization, Spanish colonizers didn’t come to the Americas in the name of religious syncretism. In fact, they even brought the Inquisition, their brutal and forceful campaign for religious uniformity, with them to the New World. Compared to what they were like on the Iberian Peninsula, 16th Century Colonial witch hunts were even worse, with stake burning and extreme violence towards indigenous people being common.
Spain’s Inquisition failed in its home territory, and it didn’t go well in the Americas, either. Unfortunately, just because religious policing failed doesn’t mean that people didn’t get hurt. Women suffered the most from violent religious extremism in the name of colonization, as they mingled in markets and often shared homemade remedies that traversed taboo racial boundaries as well as the boundaries of science and religion.
One of these remedies, known for its vitality-promoting properties, was chocolate. The drink has been cultivated in the Americas for at least the past 3,000 years. It originated as a status symbol, and was served to royals, diplomats, and at weddings. Its caffeine content, flavor profile, and power it held in indigenous communities scared Spanish colonizers from the get-go.
Vocabulary for Your Next Séance
Hechizo - spell
Caldera - cauldron
Varita mágica
Séance - sesíon espiritista
Magía - magic
Spanish colonizers immediately prohibited many Aztec health plants like psychedelic mushrooms, but kept chocolate around, even adopting the beverage for themselves (probably because they realized that it was delicious). It eventually became a mass-market phenomenon, with people drinking it every day as opposed to reserving it for special occasions. Chocolate’s popularity became a symbol swept up in the developing patchwork Latin American culture, which was a melting pot of indigenous, African, and Spanish cultures.
Chocolate cooks prepared the beverage by first creating a paste made out of ground cacao, vanilla, and annatto, along with other spices, storing it in blocks to be used later. When someone wanted a cup of chocolate, they would whip the paste with hot water until foamy. To indigenous Mesoamericans, chocolate represented vitality. Men and women alike drank it for strength and power. Women most often prepared the chocolate, and men constantly said that they were being bewitched through the inky beverage, bringing their suspicions to the table at every meal (but never considering that they could cook for themselves to avoid sneaky spells).
Independent, single women who were economically active were easy pickings for witch hunters, since few people could seem to wrap their heads around the possibility that a woman could make her own living. They used potions to slip through the very low glass ceilings of wiferey, motherhood, and sexual submission. Women made good money with their witchcraft, and the entire practice subverted men’s long-assumed intellectual and economic power over them. These feelings were tenfold in Latin America, where Spanish colonizer’s guidebooks could not match Indigenous women’s knowledge of their native continent. Unfortunately, this made indigenous women big targets for the inquisition.
Magical hot chocolate sat at the intersection of witchcraft and colonial strife. To European colonizers, the drink represented dissent, with racial, religious, and gender conflicts sitting at the bottom of each cup of cocoa. Once tried and found guilty of witchcraft, women most often went to prison.
A Cocoa Tree
In an attempt to control witchcraft, the Spanish Inquisition pushed magical practices to far-flung corners of society, following an “If I can’t see it, then it doesn’t exist” model of control. Women, who lost their autonomy after marriage, used brujería to regain control in their relationships while their husbands maintained the right to beat and cheat. Using chocolate as the basis of magic making was a way for women to transform their quotidian servitude into an act of power. Clearly, it worked, since governmental authorities were scared to let them continue without punishment. What they ended up doing, though, was incubating popular magical belief and religious culture beyond their dominion of control.
Even chocolate’s significance was eventually infused into indigenous converts’ new Catholic practices, with peoples leaving cacao offerings to Jesus. The Spanish conquerors could not keep up with their subjects’ creativity, losing track of the myriad ways Indigenous and African spiritual practices were growing, transforming, and even merging with their beloved Catholicism. Santería is the byproduct of centuries of creativity in the face of colonial might, and even Mexico’s Dia de Muertos merges indigenous practices with the Catholic All Saints Day. Walter Mercado, for all his pizzaz and pageantry, is yet another example of Latin America’s consistent grip on mysticism that goes beyond the monotheistic.
Nowadays, modern day brujas, brujos, and brujx are reclaiming the long-held taboo of the sexual enchantress and harnessing mysticism. Many are now publicly vocal about their power. Like their ancestors before them, young Latinx people are adopting brujeria to connect with their heritage, mysticism, and creativity. So, the next time you dissolve a tablet of Ibarra in your milk for a cup of hot chocolate, remember that you could be on the verge of casting a spell in line with centuries-old magic.
Thumbnail photo by Tengyart.
7 Latin American LGBTQIA+ Films to Watch For Pride Month
7 films to practice your Spanish while getting your pride on!
Happy Pride Month! Remember movies? No, remember going to the movies? Neither do we. Luckily, the country’s successful vaccination campaign means that movie theaters are opening up again and it’s once again safe to head back to one of those big, over-air conditioned rooms. However, while we love going to movie theaters, they do typically lack in foreign language films. Watching movies is a great way to practice your target language, especially practicing listening to multiple speakers at the same time. So what’s a Spanish learner to do? Check out one of these 7 fantastic Spanish-language LGBTQIA+ films for a pride-filled language learning adventure!
Fuera de Carta (Spain 2008)
Fuera de Carta (Chef’s Special— literally ‘outside of the menu’) is a comedy about a chef who is running a busy restaurant. Disruptions to his already hectic life come to him in the form of being reunited with his estranged children, a new same-sex romantic interest, and the Michelin Guide food critic is coming to review his restaurant. Can he(name?) have it all? Watch on (streaming platform) to find out!
You can rent Fuera de Carta on Apple TV.
2. Joven y Alocada (Chile 2012)
Have you ever seen the show Awkward? Or perhaps Gossip Girl? Right in line with the late 2000s, early 2010s “Precocious Blogger” aesthetic, Joven y Alocada (Young and Wild) follows (name), a typical Chilean teenager who expounds the details of her personal life on a blog with an audience of zero. As her life becomes tangled in bisexual romance and religious conservatism, her blog gains notoriety as the hottest webpage in town. In addition to being heartwarming and funny, this juicy coming-of-age story is based on a real blog!
You can rent Joven y Alocada on YouTube and Google Play.
3. Plata Quemada (Spain 2001)
Plata Quemada (Burnt Money) isn’t your classic queer romance flick. It’s no Brokeback Mountain, and it certainly isn’t Call Me By Your Name. This film is a gay Bonnie and Clyde. The story’s got action, crime, and romantic passion and it’s not afraid to play with your favorite movie trops along the way.
You can watch Plata Quemada on Amazon Prime Video.
4. Viva (Ireland):
Although its director is Irish (Paddy Breathnach), Viva is a Spanish-language film. The drama centers on Jesus (Héctor Medina), a young gay Cuban man who dreams of becoming a drag queen. These dreams are put on hold when Jesus’s estranged father (name) returns. Throughout the movie, our protagonist must make a painful choice between living his truth and being with his family.
You can rent Viva on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube.
5. Contracorriente
Contracorriente (Undertow) is a film that follows Miguel as he sneaks around his small Peruvian fishing village to be with his secret lover Santiago. Without giving too much away, the film quickly takes a turn and weaves a coming out narrative into a story about ghosts and the rumor mill that is inevitable in small-town life
You can rent Contracorriente on Apple TV.
6. Todo Sobre Mi Madre (Spain 1999)
¡Penelope Cruz Alert! Todo Sobre Mi Madre (All About My Mother) is a complex trans-positive story that was ahead of its time. The film follows Manuela as she travels from Madrid to Barcelona after the death of her son Esteban in search of Lola, her son’s biological father. Manuela reunites with her self-actualized and transitioned ex-lover as she learns about an entire new world of queer Spaniards.
You can watch Todo Sobre Mi Madre on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube.
7. Elisa y Marcela
This film is based on the true story of the first gay marriage in Spain. Taking place in 1901, the film follows Elisa and Marcela as they try to get their love solidified under the power of Holy Matrimony. While Elisa y Marcela hasn’t received the best reviews from critics, it is still an in depth look at some of the events surrounding the notorious marriage and provides a great way to practice your Spanish.
You can watch Elisa y Marcela on Netflix.
8. Bonus: Gun Hill Road
While this film isn’t in Spanish, it is a fantastic glimpse into Bronx Latinx life. The film follows Enrique as he adjusts back to life after prison and living with his trans daughter, Vanessa. Its storyline has been critiqued as being a touch cliche at times, but the film is praised for providing a slice of life on what it’s like to live in the Bronx, using Vanessa to shed light on the experiences of trans women of color.
You can rent Gun Hill Road on Amazon Prime Video.
Some Spanish Vocab to Help You Talk About Movies
La película - Film
El cine - Movie theater (Also “film” informally in the US)
El argumento - Plot
El personaje - Character
El escenario - Setting
Thanks for Reading!
Have any other LGBTQIA+ Spanish-Language films that you love? Comment their names below!
Thumbnail photo by Photo by Corina Rainer
Two Latin American Board Games That Will Bring Out Your Competitive Side
Tabletop games to practice your Spanish while showing your friends who’s boss.
Board games, or juegos de mesa, are a great way to put down your electronic devices and connect with your friends and family. They’re also a great way to supercharge your Spanish learning with new vocabulary (and are also just way more fun than flashcards). Read on to discover two popular board games from Latin America.
Lotería
Besides getting to know a cultural touchstone of Mexico, playing Lotería, or lottery, is awesome for your Spanish. Hailing originally from Italy, Lotería is a traditionally Mexican board game that is essentially Bingo. Instead of having a grid of letters and numbers, though, you receive a tabla, or board, filled with beautiful tarot card-esque illustrations. The way to win is determined at the beginning of each round, with a winning pattern chosen from a deck of cards. After a pattern is dealt, the game is on. El cantor, the caller, selects winning tiles from a different shuffled deck of cards. Each card includes an illustration, its name, and a short phrase describing the tile. El cantor reads out the card’s name and phrase, and people who have that tile place a frijole, a bean, on its respective spot on their boards. Once a player has filled out the pattern on their tabla, it’s time to shout ¡Lotería!
A Lotería tabla and deck of cards. (Photo by irvin Macfarland)
What’s so great about Lotería is that the sentences on the back of each card make it a fantastic way to learn some new vocab. Each sentence is tailor made to highlight the meaning of the name in the card, so most other words in the sentence have a high association to the card’s name. In this sense, you’re almost learning an entire tiny vocabulary unit as you listen to the cantor read out a card’s verse.
“El que le cantó a San Pedro no le volverá a cantar.”
“The one that sang for St. Peter will never sing for him again.”
“Al otro lado del río tengo mi banco de arena, donde se sienta mi chata pico de garza morena.”
“At the other side of the river I have my sand bank, where sits my darling short one, with the beak of a dark heron.”
“Tu me traes a puros brincos, como pájaro en la rama.”
“You have me hopping here and there, like a bird on a branch.”
Lotería is huge all throughout Latin America, and has a dedicated fan base. Back in late 2019, Google released a Google Doodle celebrating it. Check it out and try playing a virtual version! One of the big draws for Lotería’s continued adoration is because of its captivating illustrations. In fact, one way that fans express their love for Lotería is through t-shirts featuring its tiles. Lotería combines simple and exciting gameplay with artful design and language to create a memorable experience every time you pick up a new tabla.
Estanciero
If your idea of fun is raking in the dough, you’ll probably enjoy Estanciero, Spanish for the word “rancher.” Drawing heavily from Monopoly, this Argentinian board game swaps the goal of being a real estate mogul for the more pastoral dream job of a cow herding kingpin. The game invokes Argentina’s history as a world class cattle hotspot. Estanciero’s biggest innovation to the Monopoly-style game mechanism is a rest spot where you can hide from ever-growing farming fees.
In the video below, you can see that the game looks a ton like Monopoly, except for the hexagonal shape of the board. What’s nice about the similarities between the two games is that you won’t have much trouble figuring out which Spanish words correspond to their English counterparts.
Get Some Friends and Play!
There are tons of other Spanish-language board games out there, but these two have gameplay similar to ones that you and your friends are probably already familiar with. This way, you can skip right past the rules and into the game. Be sure to try speaking Spanish as you play, and maybe modify the rules to include bonus points for using certain tenses and negative points for speaking in English.
What’s your favorite board game? Be sure to comment below, and share this post with a friend.
(Thumbnail photo by Photo by Lat Lon).
A Puerto Rican Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month in NYC
Check out all of the ways to support the Puerto Rican NYC community this month!
by Besanya Santiago
National Hispanic Heritage month has arrived! We all know what means, right? Well, if you’ve lived anywhere near us, you should already know this. But let me just say it for my people in the back: NOT EVEN COVID-19 WILL STOP US FROM CELEBRATING ALL MONTH LONG. Punto y se acabó! This is the time to communicate with each other in a way we never have before. The New York City local community needs our support now more than ever. We may not be able to be there physically but we can still be there. Aaaaaand, might I add, we can be there in the comfort of our own home, wearing our pajamas, fuzzy slippers, hair going sixteen different directions with a piña colada in hand and a margarita in queue. I don’t even drink and that sounds fabulous. Vamos allá.
So, what is National Hispanic Heritage Month? A month long celebration in the United States, this is a time period where we honor the cultures and contributions made by Latin Americans throughout the country. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed this legislation put forward by Los Angeles Representative Edward R. Roybal. Originally, it was Hispanic Heritage Week but, lets be real, have you met us? Our birthdays alone last an entire month. One week was not enough time to properly pay homage to the list of accomplishments Latin Americans have made. Therefore, in 1988 new legislation was introduced to extend the week into a month from September 15 to October 15. The date was chosen for being the independence day anniversary of five Latin American countries: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Guatemala. And thanks to George H. W. Bush, as of 1989 we have an entire month paying tribute to those who deserve it most. Albeit Puerto Rico’s political status remains undetermined, this should not diminish the numerous contributions Puerto Ricans have made in this country. From independence advocate Ramón Emeterio Betances to Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Puerto Ricans have traveled far to get to where we are today. And yes, there is still progress to be made. But for now, lets take a pause to reflect, recognize and celebrate the accomplishment of some pretty inspiring Boricuas. And don’t forget that piña colada.
Take A Salsa Class
Although salsa music didn’t technically originate in Puerto Rico, it is an immense part of the culture. The roots of salsa came from Eastern Cuba from the Cuban Son as well as Afro-Cuban dance. During the 1950s, it traveled to New York City where it continued to develop within the Puerto Rican community. So, if there is one thing New York City is not short of, it is salsa dance classes. Founded by dancer and choreographer Tina Ramirez, the Ballet Hispánico is a dance company representative of Hispanic culture in the United States. They perform all over the world while offering a variety of dance classes for ages 3+ that are now available online. Salsa Tuesdays is just one of the many awesome virtual dance courses on the schedule.
Upcoming Events: Wepa Wednesday performances feat. Bombazo Dance Company
Learn To Cook Mofongo
A must try staple of Puerto Rican cuisine, Mofongo is even better when made at home. And if you have dietary restrictions, this is a simple way to fearlessly enjoy a new culinary culture by substituting ingredients as you see fit. Two exceptional channels are Sweets and Beyond and Cooking Con Omi for teaching Puerto Rican recipes. They’re also a useful tool for Spanish learners to get an additional benefit by learning to cook a new recipe while mastering new vocabulary without even realizing it. One of the most popular videos? Making mofongo. And let me just go ahead and co-sign that the recipe is on point.
Local Restaurants for Mofongo: Casa Adela and The Freakin’ Rican Restaurant
Pick up a Book
Literature may not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Puerto Rico but it’s actually about as old as the country itself. It was officially born in 1843 when a book of short stories and poetry named El Aguinaldo Puertorriqueño was published by a group of young authors. Since then, many incredible writers such as Eugenio Maria de Hostos, Lola Rodriguez and Julia de Burgos continued to shape the foundations of Puerto Rico’s literary movement, making it what it is today. A few must-read contemporary books include When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago, War Against All Puerto Ricans by Nelson Denis and We Fed An Island by José Andrés.
Local Bookstores: Mil Mundos Books, Cafe Con Libros and Libreria Barco de PapelMil Mundos Books
Watch Musical Performances
The Hostos Center for Arts and Culture has been an integral part of the artistic community since 1982. Part of the CUNY network, it was the first college named after a Puerto Rican (yep, the same Eugenio Maria de Hostos previously mentioned here). They are a name well worth knowing as they are constantly giving the Latin American community a voice. Another great organization is The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater. Founded by iconic Puerto Rican actress Miriam Colón, their main focus is to exhibit works that promote cultural awareness, all while opening up artistic opportunities to those within their own community. And luckily for us, both institutions have made all their performances available online.
Upcoming Events: BomPlenazo 2020 and The Greater Good Theater Festival
Listen To Podcasts
Living in New York City, listening to podcasts is an an essential part of any commute. And as much we just love the eclectic variety of live performances on the metro, sometimes we could use a change of scenery. Podcasts are an ideal way to learn about Latin American culture in addition to keeping up with current events. Latino USA produced by NPR and hosted by Maria Hinojosa is popular due to its cross cultural nature in discussing political and social topics. Up for a language challenge? Directly from Puerto Rico, Siempre es Lunes is a fun, light hearted podcast that will submerge you headfirst into the Puerto Rican dialect. If you’re simply looking to have a good laugh, check out Latinos Out Loud and Bodega Boys.
Noteworthy Episodes: Bobby Sanabria Reimagines West Side Story and Death of a Blood Sport
Lose Yourself in Art
A classic New York City institution, El Museo del Barrio specializes in Latin American and Caribbean Art with a strong emphasis on Puerto Rican culture. They offer a vast collection of film, literary, visual arts as well as a performing arts series and educational programs. While their in-person collection is somewhat limited at the moment, they are also showcasing virtual exhibitions on their website. Furthermore, the museum has also teamed up with various local organizations to provide performances, workshops and discussions online and throughout the city.
Current Exhibitions: El Taller Boricua: A Political Print Shop in New York City and Popular Painters & Other Visionaries
Looking for more ways to support the local community? Consider making a donation to any of these awesome organizations. You can find information on how you can contribute directly on their websites. Life is, without a doubt, still pretty tough in communities across the world. But it’s important to acknowledge that we’ve been transported to this rare window of time where we can actually connect with humans we never would have connected with otherwise. So, lets take advantage of this by raising our glasses and celebrating our differences. Because without them, this would be a reeeeeaaally boring world to live in. Salud!
About the Author
Besanya Santiago (IG: @besanyasantiago) is an actress, writer and musician based in New York City. She is best known for her work on the Netflix series Orange is the New Black. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, studying language and traveling the world.
Check out more of her work at https://besanyasantiago.com/
(Thumbnail photo by by Lena Eriksson)
Posesiones and the Importance of Pronouns
Sebastián Lelio’s 2017 film puts pronouns front-and-center.
A look at Sebastián Lelio’s A Fantastic Woman
By JP Linguistics
Sebastían Lelio is a Chilean director known for directing films such as Gloria, Disobedience, and A Fantastic Woman. Each film is a carefully meticulous character study of the societal mistreatment towards women. In Sebastían Lelio’s A Fantastic Woman, the way one addresses another holds significant and lasting weight.
In Lelio’s work, there are always outsiders encroaching onto the female protagonists as they themselves are battling through internal conflicts. In A Fantastic Woman, Marina, played by Chilean trans actress Daniela Vega, is a talented singer who has reached the honeymoon stage in her relationship with Orlando. Nights dancing. Birthday dinners. Spontaneous road trips. Ultimate bliss. All this shifts when her lover, Orlando, who is significantly older, begins to feel sick in the middle of the night. As they rush to the hospital, it’s too late – He’s gone. However, Marina cannot mourn her partner’s loss, as her lover’s family decides that her presence is an offense to them.
Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classic
For Marina, all she wants is to be at her lover’s funeral, but outside elements prevent it from being possible. In the hospital, as she is suffocating under the shock of losing Orlando, a police officer asks to see her I.D. Despite presenting herself as Marina, he insists that her card says otherwise. As he begins to question her, he uses gendered words towards her such as, ‘lo’ and ‘el.’ The doctor barely acknowledges her, and Orlando’s brother is scared to approach her. Lelio makes it a key point that any character that is in direct conflict with Marina undermines her by using the language as their weapon.
Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classic
Newly settled in at Orlando’s apartment, Marina is startled by an uninvited intrusion from Orlando’s son, Bruno. Bruno purposely calls her ‘Marisa’ as he barges in to claim both the apartment and Orlando’s dog, Diabla. As Marina tries to explain that Orlando gave Diabla to her, Bruno doesn’t attempt to correct himself. He spews hateful insults towards her and continues to call her ‘Marisa.’ Marina, played by Chilean trans actress Daniela Vega, stands her ground. Using language as her weapon, Marina claims her name and prepares to fight. She corrects him one last time as a slamming door is met to his face. Names and pronouns become the battleground in this film.
Recognizing the power of language, Marina comes prepared when she has to hand over Orlando’s car to his ex-wife, Sonia. Each time Marina addresses Sonia, she uses usted, a second person pronoun, as a sign of respect and formality. Sonia tells Marina to ‘drop’ the usted, in her attempt to make the conversation light. The conversation, however, is saturated with thick hatred as Sonia forbids her from attending Orlando’s funeral.
Confronted in a cold office lobby, this scene creates a disturbing twist in the use of gendered language. The grammatical gender in Spanish has words that are either masculine or feminine. Many nouns endings in –a are treated as feminine, while words ending in –o are masculine. When conjugating, the grammatical gender la is associated as feminine, while el is masculine. For native speakers, it has always been second nature to conjugate according to someone’s gender identity. In the movie, Marina promises to be discreet at the funeral, but Sonia doesn’t care. As Sonia addresses Marina with feminine pronouns to explain to Marina that as a mother, she has to protect her children. She offends Marina further by promising to compensate her financially for all that she’s done. Marina doesn’t understand how she can prevent her from saying goodbye to someone she loved. This outrages Sonia and her language changes as she uses Marina’s dead-name to drive home the fact that Marina is not welcome at the funeral. A dead-name is the name before she/he/they have transitioned. Marina, fazed yet strong, continues to address Sonia with usted. Even if Sonia can’t respect Marina, Marina will never stoop to her level.
Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classic
Things proceed to get more complicated as Marina returns to Orlando’s apartment to find that Bruno has taken Diabla. His hateful words have turned into impermissible actions. Marina becomes outraged. The film spirals as Marina is wrongfully investigated by the police as she tries to find the whereabouts of both Diabla and Orlando’s funeral. Forget Sonia, it’s Bruno who becomes her ultimate tormentor as she seeks moments of solace in the arms of her sister or by the piano of her voice teacher’s apartment. For that’s one thing that’s been robbed from her – time to mourn her partner’s death. She still sees him everywhere she turns, waiting for her to say her final goodbye.
Despite these heavy moments of sorrow, Lelio finds time to showcase Marina’s beauty. There are glorious glimpses of Marina dancing in a shimmering coat in a neon-lit club. Marina being pushed against a gust of wind as she falls forward, not backwards. Marina staring at her body with absolute love and adoration. And a final glimpse of Marina, on stage, using the thing that matters the most to her – her voice.
Watch It For Yourself!
A Fantastic Woman is a great demonstration of how pronouns can be used and abused to greater extents than one may learn in a classroom. A Fantastic Woman can be purchased online across multiple streaming platforms.
How to Make Authentic Tamales - Recipe for Meat Eaters AND Vegans!
Want to make your own tamales at home? Here are not one, but three versions for you to try.
Tamales are old (in a good way), dating back to before the Aztecs ruled central America. Their inception also dates back to before the domestication of the corn in which they’re wrapped. While the filling is a flexible and adaptable component, the outside of tamales has stood the test of time. It is corn masa (dough) wrapped and steamed inside a corn husk (sometimes banana leaves). Warning: making tamales can be a lot of work! Especially for a first-timer. Be patient, and be prepared to make a few mistakes along the way. They’ll be well-worth the reward.
Photo by @listo.vamos
Where the Word Tamale Comes From
The name came to Spanish from Nahuatl, the most widely spoken language of the Aztec Empire. There are a ton of other common Spanish words of Nahuatl origins, as well. In Nahuatl many of these words end in the suffix -tl, which changes to a -te in Spanish (think xocolātl versus chocolate). Most of these words also translate directly to English. Here are a few other Spanish words of Nahuatl origin:
tomate - tomato
tequila - tequila
guacamole - guacamole
coyote - coyote
chocolate - chocolate
However, the word tamale is not universal. It is still referred to by different names in the many languages that are spoken in Central America. In Mayan, they are called uah. In Veracruz, they are called zacahuil. in the Yucatan, they are called pibs. In Venezuela, they are called hallaquitas, while in the rest of South America, they are often called humitas. The variation in name speaks to the linguistic diversity of Latin America as a whole. For more history about Tamales check out this fascinating write-up on history.com.
If you missed out on our Instagram LIVE workshop in collaboration with Time Out New York that shows you step-by-step how to make tamales, no worries! You’re in for a treat, courtesy of our guest chefs Antonio and Ananda from @listo.vamos.
The Chefs: Antonio and Anada
“We are Antonio from Mexico City and Ananda from Rio de Janeiro. We travel and cook all around the world, vlogging and sharing all our trips, recipes, destinations, and best tips so you can travel and cook along with us from home... or if you are into the road, you can replicate our itinerary. We want to meet you and cook with you at your place #NextCityKitchen. You can find our Spanish speaking channel on YouTube and follow us on Instagram with more content also in Portuguese.”
En Español: Somos Antonio de la Ciudad de México y Ananda de Rio de Janeiro. Nosotros viajamos y cocinamos por el mundo. De paso, te mostramos todo en video: las recetas, los destinos y nuestras recomendaciones para que cocines o viajes con nosotros desde casa o si te animas puedas replicar las aventuras. Queremos conocerte y cocinar contigo en tu ciudad #NextCityKitchen Encuentranos nuestro canal en español en YouTube y contenido adicional en portugués y en español en nuestro Instagram
Image by @listo.vamos
Tamale Recipes
For Meat Eaters: Tamales Verde de Pollo (Chicken Tamales Verdes)
Rendimiento (Yield): 12 tamales, Tiempo de preparación (Preparation time): 25 minutes, Tiempo de cocción (Cooking time): 30 minutes
Ingredients for the Masa (Dough):
1 cup lard
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp salt
1 kilo corn masa flour (tamale insta masa flour)
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken stock or water
Prepare the Masa:
Mix lard, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; whisk until lard turns white and fluffy.
Add the flour and 1 cup of stock; beat until dough comes together.
If dough is too dry add more stock until it looks smooth and shiny.
Knead for 4 minutes. If masa doesn’t stick in the palm of your hand dough is ready.
Ingredients for the Relleno (Filling):
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
6 large tomatillos, husk removed, rinsed
½ white onion
2 cloves of garlic
3 jalapenos, seeded and halved
1 poblano chile, seeded and sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt and ground black pepper
¼ tsp dry oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
2 green onions, sliced (white and green parts)
Prepare the Relleno:
Toss tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeños and poblano chile in a bowl with olive oil.
Place them into a pan over medium heat and cook until the vegetables are soft and browned.
Transfer to your blender, add salt, pepper, oregano and cumin. Purée until smooth.
Put the green onions and chicken breast in the same bowl and pour the sauce over; mix well to incorporate.
The Armado (Assembly):
Use 16 dry corn husks, soaked in hot water for about 15 minutes; 12 for tamales, 4 for cooking
Working one at a time, place husk on a clean surface and gently stretch out wide end. Arrange husk so wide end is close to you. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of masa about 4” from the bottom. Using the back of a spoon spread masa in a thin, even layer, covering width of husk and going about 5” up the sides Keeping wide end closest to you, place 3 tablespoons of cold chicken filling in the center of masa, forming a long that runs down the center.
Fold 1 side of husk over filling, then fold other side over to cover. Holding tamale seam side up, fold narrow, pointed end of husk away from you and tuck under tamale. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and repeat with remaining masa and husks.
You are going to use a steamer pot to cook the tamales. Line bottom of the steamer insert with husk scraps and add enough water (about 3 cups) into pot carefully not to let the water touch the steamer insert. Arrange tamales at the center of the steamer insert, with the hole toward, and place it into pot.
Bring liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium low. Cover pot and simmer tamales, adding more hot water as needed to keep some liquid in the pot; about 30 minutes.
Remove 1 tamale, let cool a couple of minutes, remove a little portion of folded husks; if masa sticks to husk, it’s not ready. If is easily removed, your tamales are fully cooked.
Remove from heat and let sit undercover 10 minutes.
You can serve tamales with salsa, cream and fresh cilantro.
* TIP To add more flavor to dough you can reserve and then add ¼ of the salsa verde, reducing the amount of liquid added to dough.
Image by @listo.vamos
For Vegans: Tamales veganos dulces y salados
(Vegan tamales, sweet and savory)
Rendimiento (Yield) 6 tamales de tu elección: 6 tamales of your choice, Tiempo de preparación (Preparation time): 25 minutes, Tiempo de cocción (Cooking time): 30 minutes
Ingredients for the Masa (Dough):
220g shortening
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt
500g fresh corn masa for tamales
1 cup amaranth or oats flour (optional)
1/4 - 1/2 cup of water or vegetable stock if you are making only savory tamales
(For sweet tamales): 2/3 cup of refined sugar
Receta básica de masa para tamales veganos (Standard plain vegan tamale dough)
Mix shortening, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; whisk until lard turns white and fluffy.
Add fresh corn masa, amaranth flour if used (it’s going to enrich the dough with good source protein) and ¼ cup liquid. Knead for about
4 minutes until dough comes together.If dough is too dry add more stock until it looks smooth and shiny. If masa doesn’t stick in the palm of your hand dough is ready.
Masa para tamales dulces veganos (Sweet vegan tamale dough)
Follow the same instruction to make the dough but add sugar into the shortening mix.
Relleno Para Tamales Salados (Filling for Savory Tamales):
1 cup of salsa verde
200g sautéed mushrooms (whichever kind of mushrooms you prefer)
1 green onion, sliced (white and green parts)
Relleno Para Tamales Dulces (Filling for Sweet Tamales):
1 cup of fresh fruit like pineapple, apples, pear, peach: chopped
1 cup of dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, blueberries, golden berries or nuts
The Armado (Assembly):
10 dry corn husks, soaked in hot water for about 15 minutes (6mins for tamales, 4mins for cooking).
Whether you choose to make savory, sweet or both types of tamales, mix all the ingredients for each flavor into a bowl and follow the next steps
Working one at a time, place husk on a clean surface and gently stretch out wide end. Arrange husk so wide end is close to you. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of masa about 4” from the bottom. Using the back of a spoon spread masa in a thin, even layer, covering width of husk and going about 5” up the sides. Keeping wide end closest to you, place 3 tablespoons of filling in the center of masa, forming a line the runs down the center.
Fold 1 side of husk over filling, then fold other side over to cover. Holding tamale seam side up, fold narrow, pointed end of husk away from you and tuck under tamale. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and repeat with remaining masa and husks.
Use a steamer pot to cook the tamales. Line bottom of the steamer then insert the husk scraps.
Add enough water (about 3 cups) into pot carefully not to let the water touch the steamer insert.
Arrange tamales at the center of the steamer insert and place into pot. Bring liquid to a boil over hight heat, then reduce to medium low. Cover pot and simmer tamales, adding more broth as needed to keep some liquid in the pot; about 30 minutes.
Remove 1 tamale, let cool for a few minutes, remove a little portion of folded husks. If masa sticks to the husk, it’s not ready. If it is easily removed, your tamales are fully cooked.
Remove from heat and let sit covered for 20 minutes.
*TIP - to add more flavor to the dough, you can reserve and then add 1/4 of the salsa verde, reducing the amount of liquid added to the dough.
Buen Provecho!
We hope you enjoy these delicious and authentic Tamale recipes! Don’t forget to share your handmade creations with us by emailing your photos to info@jplinguistics.com or by sending us a DM on our @JPLinguistics Instagram account. We will share our favorites with the community with a shoutout to you. Special thanks to Antonio and Anada from @Listo.vamos for sharing these incredible recipes with our community. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to follow them on Instagram for more delicious recipes and travel adventures! If you’re looking to brush up on your Spanish Language Skills, be sure to check out our Spanish Online Group Classes and Private Lessons, all taught by Native Instructors.
Spending the Holidays in Latin America? These are 5 Phrases You Need To Know.
A language and cultural guide to Latin America during the holiday season!
Felices Fiestas compadres! If you’re spending the holidays in Latin America, you might notice that we Latinos do things a little different. After learning these five phrases, you’ll be tossing back coquito and making sure you’re first in line to eat lechón. But be warned...you may find yourself a little more than tipsy on New Year’s Eve, eating exactly 12 grapes while swinging empty luggage around the block.
(Puerto Rican coquito)
If you find yourself in Puerto Rico in December, you may hear a lot of rumbling about a parranda. A parranda is a Puerto Rican music tradition and THE social event of the season. Expect a group of friends at your front steps playing loud live music until you let them in. Trumpets, guitars, the whole works. It’s a pachanga, baby! Once inside, the guests are greeted with treats like mofongo (mashed plantains), arroz con dulce (rice pudding), and coquito, whose coconut-sweet goodness puts American eggnog to shame. Warning: NEVER, I repeat, NEVER say whose recipe you liked better. Doing so is a slippery slope and you will become the social pariah of the holidays. Seriously, don’t mess with Puerto Ricans and their coquito.
Nochebuena
Nochebuena is the night of Christmas Eve. In a lot of Latin American cultures, this is a bigger feast than Christmas Day itself, and it features a big family dinner centered around lechón. Physically, lechón is a roasted pig, but emotionally it’s much much more than that. Cooking it takes sweat, dedication, and a whole lot of love. In Cuban tradition, lechón is cooked in a ‘Caja China’ (a large box) below hot coals. Alongside this good food is a night of drinking and dancing until you stumble your way over to Misa De Gallo (Midnight Mass) which concludes the Christmas celebrations.
Para pedir Posadas:
(A holiday-themed pinata fest)
In English, this literally translates to ‘asking for a place to stay.’ The translation may sound odd, but the tradition is rooted back in the biblical story of the Nativity. Celebrated in multiple Latin countries, Las Posadas begins on December 16th and ends on Christmas Eve. These nine days or ‘novena’ represent the nine-month pregnancy of Mary. What follows is this: two people dress up as Mary and Joseph and visit houses designated as “inns.” The community walks down the street, singing songs until one house finally lets them in. At the end of each night, everyone celebrates with Christmas carols, food, and piñatas for the kids.
¡Cantemos villancicos!
“Let’s sing carols!” ‘Villancicos’ are Christmas Carols, and the people who sing them are called ‘Cantantes de Villancicos.’ No matter which Latin American country you’re in, you’ll find yourself singing. Make sure to pack some herbal teas and keep that voice warm, because you’ll have a tiring but delightful evening. Here are some villancicos en español (that aren’t “Feliz Navidad”) to get you into the spirit.
¡Feliz Año Nuevo! / ¡Feliz Año!
(Año Nuevo in Cartagena)
Just like their other celebrations, Latinx people throw the best New Years parties, infused with some special traditions. Some are universal, like eating twelve grapes (each representing one month of the year) as a symbol of good luck. Others are a bit more unique. In Colombia, people walk around the block with an empty suitcase for hopes of traveling more in the New Year. In Chile, you must sweep the house from inside out to erase the past. For Cubans, throwing a bucket of water outside does the trick. All over Latin America, traditions run deep when ringing in the new year!
We hope you enjoy your holiday season, and if you find yourself in Latin America, don’t forget to take these phrases with you! Felices Fiestas!
Comment below and let us know your favorite tradition!