FROM MEXICO—Mexican Dried Fruit

from el Restaurante Oct/Nov/Dec 2020 issue

COVER STORY—Hispanic Pastries Sweeten the Season

Mexican DRIED FRUIT

| BY KAREN HURSH GRABER, writing from Mexico | Of all the many mercados I have visited in Mexico, one of my favorites is the municipal market in Cholula, Puebla, where I have shopped for the better part of the last quarter century. Filled with an enticing array of the best that this culinary region has to offer, this place is to Mexican food lovers what Disneyland is to media-soaked five-year-olds: Paradise. And my favorite puesto, or stall, is Las Cazuelas, belonging to the woman my husband refers to as my “Mexican food guru,” Doña Lucia.

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Pork loin stufed with dried fruit

TODAY MEXICO PRODUCES ALL MANNER OF DRIED FRUIT, BOTH ORCHARD FRUIT LIKE APPLES, PEARS AND APRICOTS INTRODUCED BY THE SPANIARDS, AND TROPICAL FRUIT, INCLUDING PINEAPPLE AND MANGO.

Beautiful Talavera ceramic tureens hold the homemade mole, pipián and adobo pastes for which Doña Lucia is justifiably famous. Every possible ingredient that goes into these gastronomic marvels is sold here as well, including dried fruit, which will be used in all manner of dishes, from the iconic mole poblano to desserts and snacks.

CULINARY HISTORY Dried fruits have been used throughout the world for centuries. In Mexican cooking, they were used at least as far back as the Conquest, when Spaniards brought with them the cuisine

FUN FACT!

In Mexico, dried peaches are whimsically called orejones de durazno, “peach ears” because of their resemblance to human ears.

that had been so heavily influenced by the Moors. The Arabic style of cooking was sophisticated, with layers of flavor enhanced by dried fruit, such as apricots, raisins and dates, along with nuts and spices.

Eating dried fruit dates back to ancient times, beginning with hunter-gatherers who ate wild grapes that had been dried into raisins by the sun. By 3000 BC, the Egyptians were cultivating fruit, and baskets of dried fruit have been found in their tombs. Greeks, Romans, and people throughout the Middle East used dried fruit in cooking, a culinary tradition that the Crusaders returning to Europe brought with them.

The Spanish explorers and missionaries introduced orchard fruit and grape vines to Mexico, the latter thriving in the missions of Baja California and what is now California. Dried fruit was produced in abundance, and eventually this region overtook the Valencia region of eastern Spain in raisin production. Today, Mexico produces all manner of dried fruit, both orchard fruit like apples, pears and apricots introduced by the Spaniards, and tropical fruit, including pineapple and mango.

SAVORY AND SWEET In savory recipes, dried fruit—especially raisins and prunes—have been used in traditional Mexican dishes, many introduced by convent cooks as far back as the 16th century. These include several moles, stuffing for turkey, and picadillo.

In the realm of sweet dishes, the creamy rice pudding called arroz con leche almost always contains raisins, as do sweet tamales and the bread pudding called capirotada.

The Oaxacan pork stew estofado, Aguacalientes-style chicken, and Puebla’s chiles en nogada are just a few of the regional dishes whose flavor dried fruit enhances.

See Graber’s recipe for Lomo de puerco relleno: Mexican stufed roast loin of pork on page 63.

TIPS FOR YOUR MENU

The wide variety of dried fruit makes it easy to add creative touches to Mexican dishes. A few suggestions:

Add cut-up dried apricots to guacamole.

Think outside the box when it comes to rice pudding. Instead of raisins, try dried apricots, apples, pears or peaches, or a combination of fruits for even more texture and color.

Create a holiday family meal package featuring roast turkey or pork loin, with stufng made with various combinations of dried fruit.

Rice pudding with dried fruit