Pinole — toasted corn flour for the road
Corn toasted then finely ground with cinnamon and cane sugar. Eaten by the spoonful, mixed with water, or pressed into balls: concentrated energy, sweet and roasted, that keeps for a long time.
Corn toasted then finely ground with cinnamon and cane sugar. Eaten by the spoonful, mixed with water, or pressed into balls: concentrated energy, sweet and roasted, that keeps for a long time.
When you walk endlessly, you don't carry a pot. So I toast the corn on the comal until it turns golden and sings, then I grind it very fine and mix in a little cinnamon and sugar. Slip a handful into a cloth tied at your belt: in times of scarcity, a spoonful mixed with river water is enough to keep you upright. I walk always, and the toasted taste of corn is the only comfort of the road.
- •Dried corn — a measure, toasted on the comal (base)
- •Cinnamon — a shard, ground (flavor)
- •Grated piloncillo — to taste (sweetness and energy)
Pinole — toasted corn flour for the road
Corn toasted then finely ground with cinnamon and cane sugar. Eaten by the spoonful, mixed with water, or pressed into balls: concentrated energy, sweet and roasted, that keeps for a long time.
Why this dish? La Llorona never stops wandering, from river to lake, without rest. Pinole is precisely the food of walkers: a sweet flour that keeps for weeks, carried in a bag and eaten dry or mixed with water. The food of those who never arrive anywhere.
When you walk endlessly, you don't carry a pot. So I toast the corn on the comal until it turns golden and sings, then I grind it very fine and mix in a little cinnamon and sugar. Slip a handful into a cloth tied at your belt: in times of scarcity, a spoonful mixed with river water is enough to keep you upright. I walk always, and the toasted taste of corn is the only comfort of the road.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried corn — a measure, toasted on the comal (base)
- Cinnamon — a shard, ground (flavor)
- Grated piloncillo — to taste (sweetness and energy)
Ingredients
- Dried corn (or cornmeal/corn flour) — 250 g (base)
- Ground cinnamon — 1 tsp (flavor)
- Whole cane sugar (or grated piloncillo) — 60 g (sweetness)
- Pinch of salt — 1 (balance)
Method
- Toast the corn dry in a pan (comal) over medium heat, stirring, until golden and fragrant (without burning).
- Let cool slightly, then grind finely (coffee grinder or blender) into flour.
- Mix with cinnamon, cane sugar, and a pinch of salt.
- Store in an airtight container: keeps for several weeks.
- To eat: by the spoonful, or mixed into cold or hot water to desired consistency.
How it was made : Pinole (from Nahuatl pinolli) is a pre-conquest Mesoamerican travel food: light, nutritious, non-perishable, it accompanied warriors, merchants, and pilgrims. After 1492, Spanish cinnamon and cane sugar were added. It survives today among the Rarámuri long-distance runners of northern Mexico.
The contemporary twist : Press moistened pinole into small balls and roll them in cinnamon: an elegant pocket snack, or sprinkle it over yogurt like a granola before granola.
Sources : Sophie D. Coe, America's First Cuisines (1994) · Bernardino de Sahagún, Codex de Florence, XVIe siècle
La Llorona · Charactorium