It has taken over 6,000 years for this little bit of magic to evolve. From
nomads curious about this little itty-bitty grain growing on a small-finer
sized cob, to a digestible and delicious tortilla, and the stuff to put on
it.

Anthropologists have traced the beginning of maize from this incredibly
small piece of nature through the ages. Not only did the early nomads
'invent or discover' hybridization, they also 'accidentally'
discovered/invented the key process that changes maize into digestible food
for human beings.

But let me start with the ultimate high-energy pick-me-up for pennies and in
less than a minute, which I used to lure you into this piece.

A few minutes ago, around 2:00, working on a robotics project, I suddenly
felt the need for a recharge. My options were to take a slug of Tequila,
open a can of Dos Equis, or do what any reasonable working Mexican will do
at this time of day. Heat a tortilla, ladle it with salsa and a spoonful of
beans, and eat it. Maybe three... since they are low cal and low fat and
everything good.

A tortilla is a miracle from nature and man. Six to ten thousand years ago
as native Amerindians criss crossed the continent as hunter-gatherers, they
zeroed in on a few plants. Beans, potatoes, squash, chile and that little
itty bitty thing that kept getting bigger every time they camped in the same
place each year. One thing led to another and the women of the tribes
learned that if they took the largest kernel from the cob and planted it
near the earthen toilets the tribe used, it would grow more kernels on ever
larger cobs. Then, one day, somebody came by after a forest fire and
discovered the maize blackened on the outside husk was softened in the
inside and tasted pretty good. The rest is history.... almost. But not
quite.

Maize by itself is great food for animals, but not for humans.

Somewhere before 4,000 BC earthen pots were evolving, and somebody put some
kernels of maize to boil. Without really knowing it, during the night some
of the ashes from the fire mixed with the boiling water and the birth of
nixtamal was at hand. Without a touch of lye, lime, whatever you want to
call it, the maize becomes digestible to the human body. So now you have the
'corn' of the Americas. That dry bean that will keep the tribes going
through winters when everybody hibernates, including the animals.

So today I have machine made tortillas from prime maize in my refrigerator
that I can take out at will, heat at will and eat at will. But that is not
real energy as I promised in the heading of this story. I promised the
ultimate high-energy bite.

Enter the chile. Chiles grow in nature and in some places they are
considered a weed, an infestation, unwelcome because they are so hearty. But
we know better. All those thousands of years ago the natives gathered chiles
of all kinds and knew the potency they gave for that extra exertion needed
to put the final killing blow to the mastodon, the big elephants that roamed
the Americas... and into the javelin, and wild pig and all other animals
they hunted. They did not know why, and few people today know why, but the
chile is that ultimate dose of power needed for heavy work as well as for
just simply enjoying the heat.

South American natives chewed cocoa leaves as they built the incredible
Matsu Pichus and the likes. Mexican travelers chewed on chiles to get the
same, or greater energy when needed. To this day!

Few people really understand this, but many do. So if you are among the ones
who know this, please add your thoughts and experiences. Eating a chile
tricks the human body into believing the mouth is on fire. If the body is
suffering heat burns, or anything that hurts, the brain sends a signal to a
little gland at the base of our skull that squirts out a shot of endorphin.
Morphine. It is self induced therefore non addictive. (Yeah, sure, ask any
marathon runner or jogger if their second wind is not addictive!).

But for the most part, this shot of self induced pain killer is not harmful,
but it does trigger of the illusion that we are indestructible, strong as
horses, and can do anything longer than anybody else.

This closes this little bit of trivia on corn tortillas and chile tacos.
Heat a tortilla, sprinkle it with Cayenne or any good chile, roll it up, and
you have yourself a healthy, wholesome afternoon or morning pick-me-up for
pennies.

Wayne
Overlooking the Pacific ocean from a viewpoint halfway between San Diego and
Tijuana with a nice gentle breeze caressing my gray hair and reminding me
just how great life is.

Close...


"That_Rich" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 22:03:32 GMT, "Wayne Lundberg"
> > wrote:
>
> >Overlooking the Pacific ocean from a viewpoint halfway between San Diego
and
> >Tijuana with a nice gentle breeze caressing my gray hair and reminding me
> >just how great life is.
>
>
> Imperial Beach ??
>
> Enjoy,
>
> RP©

Thank you!

This IS what thiis group should be- a place to exchange, share, learn,
grow.

By the way, I call it Mother Tortilla because the tortilla has
generated so many rich ideas for cooking.

Thanks again.

..
Wayne Lundberg wrote:
> It has taken over 6,000 years for this little bit of magic to evolve. From
> nomads curious about this little itty-bitty grain growing on a small-finer
> sized cob, to a digestible and delicious tortilla, and the stuff to put on
> it.
>
> Anthropologists have traced the beginning of maize from this incredibly
> small piece of nature through the ages. Not only did the early nomads
> 'invent or discover' hybridization, they also 'accidentally'
> discovered/invented the key process that changes maize into digestible food
> for human beings.
>
> But let me start with the ultimate high-energy pick-me-up for pennies and in
> less than a minute, which I used to lure you into this piece.
>
> A few minutes ago, around 2:00, working on a robotics project, I suddenly
> felt the need for a recharge. My options were to take a slug of Tequila,
> open a can of Dos Equis, or do what any reasonable working Mexican will do
> at this time of day. Heat a tortilla, ladle it with salsa and a spoonful of
> beans, and eat it. Maybe three... since they are low cal and low fat and
> everything good.
>
> A tortilla is a miracle from nature and man. Six to ten thousand years ago
> as native Amerindians criss crossed the continent as hunter-gatherers, they
> zeroed in on a few plants. Beans, potatoes, squash, chile and that little
> itty bitty thing that kept getting bigger every time they camped in the same
> place each year. One thing led to another and the women of the tribes
> learned that if they took the largest kernel from the cob and planted it
> near the earthen toilets the tribe used, it would grow more kernels on ever
> larger cobs. Then, one day, somebody came by after a forest fire and
> discovered the maize blackened on the outside husk was softened in the
> inside and tasted pretty good. The rest is history.... almost. But not
> quite.
>
> Maize by itself is great food for animals, but not for humans.
>
> Somewhere before 4,000 BC earthen pots were evolving, and somebody put some
> kernels of maize to boil. Without really knowing it, during the night some
> of the ashes from the fire mixed with the boiling water and the birth of
> nixtamal was at hand. Without a touch of lye, lime, whatever you want to
> call it, the maize becomes digestible to the human body. So now you have the
> 'corn' of the Americas. That dry bean that will keep the tribes going
> through winters when everybody hibernates, including the animals.
>
> So today I have machine made tortillas from prime maize in my refrigerator
> that I can take out at will, heat at will and eat at will. But that is not
> real energy as I promised in the heading of this story. I promised the
> ultimate high-energy bite.
>
> Enter the chile. Chiles grow in nature and in some places they are
> considered a weed, an infestation, unwelcome because they are so hearty. But
> we know better. All those thousands of years ago the natives gathered chiles
> of all kinds and knew the potency they gave for that extra exertion needed
> to put the final killing blow to the mastodon, the big elephants that roamed
> the Americas... and into the javelin, and wild pig and all other animals
> they hunted. They did not know why, and few people today know why, but the
> chile is that ultimate dose of power needed for heavy work as well as for
> just simply enjoying the heat.
>
> South American natives chewed cocoa leaves as they built the incredible
> Matsu Pichus and the likes. Mexican travelers chewed on chiles to get the
> same, or greater energy when needed. To this day!
>
> Few people really understand this, but many do. So if you are among the ones
> who know this, please add your thoughts and experiences. Eating a chile
> tricks the human body into believing the mouth is on fire. If the body is
> suffering heat burns, or anything that hurts, the brain sends a signal to a
> little gland at the base of our skull that squirts out a shot of endorphin.
> Morphine. It is self induced therefore non addictive. (Yeah, sure, ask any
> marathon runner or jogger if their second wind is not addictive!).
>
> But for the most part, this shot of self induced pain killer is not harmful,
> but it does trigger of the illusion that we are indestructible, strong as
> horses, and can do anything longer than anybody else.
>
> This closes this little bit of trivia on corn tortillas and chile tacos.
> Heat a tortilla, sprinkle it with Cayenne or any good chile, roll it up, and
> you have yourself a healthy, wholesome afternoon or morning pick-me-up for
> pennies.
>
> Wayne
> Overlooking the Pacific ocean from a viewpoint halfway between San Diego and
> Tijuana with a nice gentle breeze caressing my gray hair and reminding me
> just how great life is.

"chipotle" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Thank you!
>
> This IS what thiis group should be- a place to exchange, share, learn,
> grow.
>
> By the way, I call it Mother Tortilla because the tortilla has
> generated so many rich ideas for cooking.
>
> Thanks again.
>
---snip for brevity----

Thank you!

There are hundreds of glyphs depicting the Olmecs as they performed
missionary work from Florida to Central America way before the Maya. The
drawings in stone and paint depict a person with maize in one hand and an
axe in the other. Nobody is really sure, but some anthropologists think the
message is "Learn to grow corn, or forever be saddled to hunting, gathering
and fighting between tribes" Others think the glyphs say "Learn to farm, pay
tribute, or be killed." Take your pick!

We do know that all Mesoamerican cultures revered maize in a godlike manner.

Wayne


Wayne

There are hundreds of glyphs depicting the Olmecs as they performed
> missionary work from Florida to Central America way before the Maya.

Now we're cooking with fire!
I have discovered so much about the Maya, primarily because I have
always been awed by them in general. I have seen only glimmers of
information about the Olmec and knew I was not digging deep enough.
Where do you find those glyphs? More information?

Thank you again. This is just fabulous, and I think you for sharing
your knowledge. I feel like I should be starting a new topic, though
since we've gotten away from high-energy drinks.