Lingering at the dinner table

It seems that it was in olden days when upon finishing a delicious meal, nobody left the table. Diners magically remained stuck to their seats with a single purpose: to tell stories, experiences, successes or failures, animated with the rich flavor of coffee and encouraged by a grandfather’s aristocratic air, who enjoyed his cigar while children secretly tried to steal a few drops of sambuca – at a time when society did not judge this mischief.

In short, this magnificent trilogy – the gathering, the coffee and the time – have disappeared from Hispanic dining halls. 

Perhaps the accelerated American society has stripped us of an ancient treasure: listening, but listening while seated.

The Royal Spanish Academy defines the after-the-meal period or sobremesa as the “time spent at the table after having eaten.” However, the meaning can suggest that it takes place “immediately after eating and without leaving the table.”

These family get-togethers – at lunch or dinner – are a sort of emotional drama whose audience is the most sincere and affectionate: the family. That is how it is explained by psychologist Cecilia Williamson, cited in an article titled “Sharing the family: The rescue of the after-dinner period.”

“Unfortunately, the after-dinner time is in danger of extinction,” Williamson says. “The fast-paced lifestyle, excessive obligations, intensity of work, exhaustion, the stress of work and social commitments, and the limited time devoted to the family in favor of other activities and pastimes undermine family life and especially the time that once existed around the table and that we call after dinner.”

Today, the after-the-meal period is a kind of archaeological artifacts, threatened by a parade of electronic devices. It is time to save this time, otherwise it will only exist in Hispanic literature as a unique element of scholars and intellectuals who used to end a hearty feast with a relaxed conversation.

Photos by Juan Miret

Seeking home remedies

Salsa singer Celia Cruz immortalized the song, “Yerberito,” about a healer of sorts who dispenses herbs as miracle cures, including remedies for those who are lovesick. 

“I bring ‘yerba santa’ for the throat,” says the song, originally in Spanish, referring to hoja santa, sometimes called root beer plant. And the herbalist also has ‘keisomon’ for swelling; “abrecaminos,” a plant known in Florida as Keys thoroughwort, for one’s future; “ruda” (common rue) to combat sneezing; and basil for skinny people. The last line of the chorus says, in reference to another plant: “And with that herb you can marry.”

In fact, many pharmaceutical prescriptions have their origin in medicinal herbs, says Simon Navarro, owner of 2000 HNC, a natural products store in east Tulsa.

Heartburn
Heartburn that arises just after enjoying a favorite food can be countered with papaya juice. “That fruit is the best remedy for heartburn,” said Graciela López, who was in Navarro’s store buying horsetail. “This is very good for tiredness.”

Sciatica
That intolerable back pain can be healed with a massage that uses a mix of ground ginger and sesame oil, Marina Hurtado said by way of Facebook. “My grandparents used that and it helped them a bit.”

Hiccups
That spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm has innumerable solutions such as scaring the patient, holding one’s breath, and pressing the abdomen and counting to 60. But for some the most effective is mint tea, “good and hot,” according to José Pereira, who says he regularly visits natural products stores. “Our grandmothers’ remedies contain much truth.”

Cough
Homemade recipes to stop a cough include an infusion of anise, hot milk with honey, sprinkling drops of thyme oil on a pillow, a glass of rum, or the unpalatable onion tea. “The nettle. There is nothing better for a cough than nettle,” said Laura Salazar, as she purchased a small bag of dandelion, an herb that is said to help with anemia.

And if you can’t find the herb you were looking for, then use the universal remedy that Hispanics turn to: Vicks VapoRub, and surely you will be cured.

Note: The above statements do not constitute any sort of medical advice. Please consult a specialist for treatment of your ailments.