Pinole of the Misiones Culturales
A fine powder of toasted corn, perfumed with cinnamon and sweetened, eaten by the spoonful, diluted in water or milk, or carried in a pouch to stave off hunger on long journeys.
A fine powder of toasted corn, perfumed with cinnamon and sweetened, eaten by the spoonful, diluted in water or milk, or carried in a pouch to stave off hunger on long journeys.
When I sent my schoolteachers to the farthest reaches of the country, in the wagons of the Misiones, I knew they would eat what the muleteer eats: pinole. A handful of this golden powder, a little water from a spring, and the man sets off again to teach the children of the mountains. It is the quintessential travel food, light as an idea and faithful as a book. See how corn, simply toasted and ground, nourishes the one who carries the light of the alphabet to forgotten villages.
- •Dried corn — full hands (base)
- •Cinnamon — one stick (flavor)
- •Cane sugar (piloncillo) — to taste (sweetness, energy)
Pinole of the Misiones Culturales
A fine powder of toasted corn, perfumed with cinnamon and sweetened, eaten by the spoonful, diluted in water or milk, or carried in a pouch to stave off hunger on long journeys.
Why this dish? Vasconcelos launched the Misiones Culturales, those railway cars of teachers who crisscrossed rural Mexico to teach literacy. Pinole — toasted corn flour sweetened with cinnamon, which keeps for weeks and is carried in a pouch — was the classic viaticum of travelers and muleteers on the long roads his missionaries traveled.
When I sent my schoolteachers to the farthest reaches of the country, in the wagons of the Misiones, I knew they would eat what the muleteer eats: pinole. A handful of this golden powder, a little water from a spring, and the man sets off again to teach the children of the mountains. It is the quintessential travel food, light as an idea and faithful as a book. See how corn, simply toasted and ground, nourishes the one who carries the light of the alphabet to forgotten villages.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried corn — full hands (base)
- Cinnamon — one stick (flavor)
- Cane sugar (piloncillo) — to taste (sweetness, energy)
Ingredients
- Dried corn (or coarse polenta to toast) — 250 g (base)
- Ground cinnamon — 1 tsp (flavor)
- Whole cane sugar or grated piloncillo — 60 g (sweetness)
- Pinch of salt — 1 (balance)
- Water or milk to serve — as desired (optional drink)
Method
- Toast the corn dry in a pan over medium heat, stirring, until golden and fragrant (without burning).
- Let cool slightly, then grind finely with the cinnamon (coffee grinder or powerful food processor).
- Sift to obtain a fine powder, mix with sugar and salt.
- Store in an airtight jar: keeps several weeks.
- Enjoy by the spoonful (with a glass of water) or diluted in water or hot milk.
How it was made : Pinole is one of the oldest travel foods of the Americas, already described among pre-Hispanic peoples. Toasting stabilizes the corn and makes it nutritious and compact — the Mesoamerican equivalent of marching rations.
The contemporary twist : Incorporated into cookie dough or sprinkled over vanilla ice cream, pinole offers a toasted caramelized corn flavor that pleasantly surprises today's palates.
Sources : Bernardino de Sahagún, Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España (16th c.) · Diana Kennedy, The Cuisines of Mexico (1972)
José Vasconcelos · Charactorium