Rum, a beverage created by accident

When the Spanish conquered the Moorish kingdom of Granada, they discovered through one of those blessed accidents of humanity that from the sweet fermented juice of sugar cane one could obtain a dark and strong liquor. That was the birth of rum.

But the area’s weather conditions were not favorable for growing sugar cane, which is why the plantations were moved to the warm Caribbean after the voyages of discovery of Christopher Columbus. That was the true birthplace of rum, given that the Caribbean was and still is a sort of huge sugar cane factory.

Rum, a liquor with a high alcohol content, is obtained from the molasses of sugar cane, and through fermentation, distillation and aging in oak barrels. The liquor includes two major classifications: clear and light, typical of the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Puerto Rico, and dark and heavy – with more flavor – like that of Venezuela.

In fact, if a Venezuelan is asked what differentiates the rum of his South American country from that of other areas, it will be hard for him to be concise about those distinctions, according to the book, “Rum of Venezuela,” by Rosanna Di Turi.

According to her, Venezuelan rums have attributes that distinguish them from their counterparts in the world. However, there is an inescapable rule to aid one’s understanding: In Venezuela, to bring rum to its purest form, the alcohol distilled from the sugar cane must spend at least two years aging in oak barrels.

Food expert Alberto Soria is quoted in Di Turi’s book as saying that “this is the minimum aging for even the simplest rum. That aging in the Caribbean, for example, is six months in some places. Venezuela’s stocks of eight years or more are fragrant, mild, harmonious.”

Extreme weather conditions, typical of the tropical Caribbean, make the rum in oak barrels intensify in flavor, and that is why the rum on this side of the Atlantic is so sought after.

Consumed by itself or combined, dark or light, the rum is king of the Caribbean. ¡Salud!

Rum with a Hispanic touch

Cuba

Santiago de Cuba and the Havana Club are considered the best on the island, according to connoisseurs. “Cuban rums are fruity, but balanced and restrained,” says Roberto Pereira, author of “From Cuba: Tobacco, rum and danzón.”

Puerto Rico

The Caribbean island is the largest producer of rum in the world. The renowned brand Bacardí offers one of the most purchased clear and light rums.

Dominican Republic

Brugal rum, produced in Quisqueya since 1888, is considered one of the best in the world. “The aroma is unbeatable and its taste is both mild and firm,” says Carlos González-Brandt, a master rum maker and author of the book, “Rums of the World.”

Tidbits about rum

A Cuba libre is a very popular combination. It was created in 1898, during Cuba’s War of Independence. A group of former American soldiers, who had joined with Cuba against the Spanish, was in the Americano bar in Havana. A captain asked for Bacardí rum with a lot of ice and a few drops of lemon juice.

His great enjoyment of his beverage aroused the interest of the soldiers around him, so they asked to be served the same drink. It was an instant success.

When they asked for another round, a soldier proposed a toast to a “free Cuba – “por Cuba libre.” The captain raised his glass and the cries of the crowd were unanimous: “Cuba Libre”. The original Cuba Libre is composed of one part Bacardí, three parts Coca-Cola, ice and a slice of lemon.

The famous pirate Francis Drake created a combination of rum, sugar, lemon and mint, which bore his last name and which in turn was given the Spanish pronunciation of draque. Over time, this combination, but now with rum, became a mojito, which now is the cocktail that is most representative of rum drinks.

The daiquiri is another cocktail that went around the world, and of which writer Ernest Hemingway was a devoted fan. The orthodox recipe calls for mixing in a shaker a half a teaspoon of sugar, two tablespoons of lemon juice, a few drops of maraschino, a glass of white rum and plenty of ice.

Photos by Juan Miret

Regular or ‘tejana’ hats: symbols or accessories?

Some say the hat may have been created in Europe in the 14th century. If so, many country folk on this side of the ocean are thankful.

The transformation into a tropical version of the top hat typical of London or the one used by Australian farmers, whose brim angles down more, has nothing to do with the wide-brimmed Mexican sombreros or ‘tejanas.”

“You know, a wide brim, but curved up,” said José Durán, manager of a store carrying Western or cowboy-style clothing in eastTulsa. “And if we’re talking about good quality, they should have a small cut in the back.”

The quality that Durán is referring to is indicated with a number and an X. “It’s easy to understand,” he said. “The more Xs on atejana, the better the quality. And it costs more.”

In fact, he said, there are some that cost more than $6,000. That is determined by the brand, the material and even the peculiarities of the region, since depending on the site, its shape changes, or as those in the know say: the hat’s block.

He said there are tejanas with shapes known as pachuco or ranchera or from states such as Durango and Sinaloa.

“And others with very definite styles, the kind that make you look dressed up.” These have names such as: Deadly Pass, the King, the Boss, the Rustler, the Millionaire, or the Great Centennial.”

Marina Santana, a sales clerk in a shop in east Tulsa that sells boots, belts and hats, says that the “banda” music, the so-calledDurango dance step and more recently “tribal” music have led to an upsurge in tejana hats.

“Many young people come to buy their whole outfit,” she said. “You can’t overlook anything, and of course the finishing touch is the tejana.”

The sometimes exorbitant cost of the tejanas makes them more than a decoration; they are a kind of status symbol. “There are some that are very expensive,” says Santana. “They usually buy them for weddings, baptisms and quinceañeras. When there is a dance, then they buy something less expensive. “

According to Santana, older buyers do so to remember the time when they were young men. “There are men who come and spend a whole afternoon trying on several tejanas,” she said. “Maybe that way they remember when they offered serenades in their town squares.”

By wearing a tejana one might imagine for a moment being one of the famous singers such as Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete, Vicente Fernández, Javier Solís and José Alfredo Jiménez. Or Lola Beltrán, Lucha Villa and Chavela Vargas.

In the end, the hat does not cover up one’s mind. To the contrary, it makes it soar, and even makes it look better. Right?

The hat with Aztec roots

Julie Sopetrán, author of  “The Hat in Mexico,” says such a garment “is designed and made not only to cover, but also to clarify; it is created through the inspiration of its many uses.” She adds that “the hat protects you from dust, helps create a breeze to stoke a fire, or to put one out; with the hat the bullfighter on horseback gives the bull an artful pass; in a jam it can be used to drink water; it is used to win the heart of a lady, to reward a bullfighter, to free oneself of an enemy, to catch a snake, to kill a fly, to say goodbye, to welcome a friend, to protect oneself from a shot or a machete.”

Did you know?

During the performance of the traditional Mexican Hat Dance or Jarabe Tapatío, the man drops his hat in front of a woman; if she accepts him, she dances on the hat’s wide brim or around the hat.

Photos by Juan Miret

Jesús Malverde, the Mexican Robin Hood?

Saintliness and crime. Can they occur together?

Not usually, but when it comes to Jesús Malverde, the rule is broken.

His image is found in popular altars – of course, without the approval of the Catholic Church. Worshippers, ranging from drug lords to poor farmers, have made his grave, located in the city of Culiacán in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, a sort of mecca for criminals and desperate people.

There is little historical data on Malverde, such that at times the line is blurred between reality and legend. That may be why nicknames like “Mexican Robin Hood,” “Angel of the Poor” and “Generous Bandit” convey more than any biographical information.

“It’s part of the traditions,” says Simón Navarro, owner of a natural products pharmacy in east Tulsa. “There are those who come looking for his image,” and others who seek more, given that there are products with the image of this “narco-saint” on items such as soap – for good luck.

According to Jungwon Park, author of an article about Malverde, he was a bandit in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Says Park: “There have been many legends that tell his life story and his miracles, but his story has been viewed by some as pure myth because of the lack of substantial evidence.”

“Despite the doubts, according to the most popular and accepted version, this Robin Hood with a Mexican accent, was born in Sinaloa in about 1870. At some point he became a thief, hiding in the mountains of Culiacán and robbing those who had the most that could be shared among the neediest, and who in exchange granted him the protection of their silence. But he was betrayed and executed in 1909.”

The supposed episodes of Malverde’s kindness and social struggle took place within the autocratic regime of Porfirio Díaz, who ruled the country from 1876 until 1911. That period, labeled by some historians as the “Porfirian peace,” was a stage of progress and modernity, but it was also the beginning of the gap between social classes: a lot of poor and a few rich, very rich. Perhaps because of these accidents of history, Malverde grew in popularity.

According to James Creechan, sociologist and professor at the Autonomous University of Sinaloa, Malverde is considered the patron saint of drug traffickers. “The drug guys go to the shrine and ask for assistance and come back in big cars and with stacks of money to give thanks,” he said in an interview with the The New York Times in 2008.

Despite these ties and fervor among drug lords, the most needy who know of the existence of Malverde identify with his heritage. The poor exist in invisibility, between darkness and drug violence; to the government, they don’t exist – there is nothing to lose.

So, why not ask such a kindly saint who even likes the bad guys? In this way Malverde is a multicultural amalgam and infinitely merciful. He is not exclusive, but he is for everyone, especially for those who are marginalized.

It is hard to imagine that the Catholic Church will set up an altar for Malverde. But what is a certainty is that his devotees will continue asking, praying and paying promises. It may be because of favors received, or for his great physical resemblance to Mexican actor and singer Pedro Infante, or the simple fact that there is nothing, absolutely nothing to lose. Amen.

The Malverde ballads

The image of this “bad saint” is enlivened with typical tunes that are an ode to violence and drug trafficking: the so called “narcorrido,” a sort of folk song deeply rooted in the border between Mexico and the United States. One of these songs says:

I will sing a corrido [ballad] of a true story,

about a generous bandit who robbed where he wanted.

Jesus Malverde was a man who helped the poor,

that’s why he was protected when the law was after him

 Videos of ballads about Malverde

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF3MaOIYw5M&feature=fvwrel

www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0JYnLAj75U&feature=related

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NCOunxL3cQ&feature=related

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw2M5MwCjaM&feature=related

Prayer to a Narco-Saint

Today before your cross I kneel

Oh, Malverde my Lord I ask for mercy and that you heal my pain

You who live in glory

And who are very close to God

Listen to the sufferings of this humble sinner

 Oh! Miraculous Malverde

Oh! Malverde my Lord

grant me this favor and fill my soul with joy

Give me health, Lord

Give me rest

Give me well-being

And I will be happy

The picture card of Malverde says that after making a personal request one must pray three Lord’s Prayers and three Hail Marys. Lastly, one lights two candles.

  

Did you know?

 In the television series CSI on the CBS network, an image of Malverde appeared in an episode broadcast in 2008.

 An image of Malverde appears in the film “A Man Apart.”

There is a play, “Rider of Divine Providence,” written by Oscar Liera, which discusses Malverde’s alleged miracles.

Photos by Juan Miret 

Boots that range from tribal to eccentric

Mexican cowboy boots are exotic, eccentric and ultimately can be very strange. To wear them, one needs not only a pair of tight-fitting jeans, a belt that matches the color of the sophisticated footwear and a hat with many Xs to indicate quality, but a lot of personality and an easy-going attitude that says: “Here’s the king of the party.”

The latest trend is the so-called tribal boots, says Guadalupe Mendoza, saleswoman in a shop in Plaza Santa Cecilia that specializes in these unusual items. “These boots are custom-made,” she said. “They are very expensive because they are not mass produced. It is an artisan’s work.” By expensive Mendoza means price tags that can top $5,000, depending on the length of the tip and the material used.

“This is something else: Now there are boots made from the skin of sea eels,” Mendoza said. “The classic ones are made from ostrich and cow skin.”

Mexican boots are very different from those worn by an American from the Midwest. Details, such as a lower heel, are minor. The main difference is that they have been created to be displayed, so that the cowboy wearing them will be seen and admired by others. That explains the unusual materials and the exorbitant prices.

Famous brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci stand out in the stores’ stock. “We have a lot. There are some with lights, gems and sequins,” said Mendoza. “When there is an important dance, that’s when we sell the most.”

The emergence of tribal boots

These pointy boots have arisen as part of a musical trend called “tribal guarachero,” which is very popular in the northern Mexican state of San Luis Potosí, explained Pedro Luis Salinas, a frequent visitor to the store where Mendoza works. “The dance is a combination of sounds with cumbia,” he said. “But it has an electronic touch.”

According to Esteban Cárdenas, who created a story and a nine-minute documentary for Vice magazine entitled “The pointy boots of Matehuala,” such boots “are part of the many fashions that exist around the tribal guarachero, a type of music popular among the younger, cross-border generations and which came about from the combination of the tribal, the Colombian cumbia, and pre-Hispanic ingredients such as chants and flutes.”

He says that “for some reason that nobody understands, the cowboys in Matehuala adopted that music; dance competitions are organized so that participants can devote time to create the choreography and to make the boots whose tips sometimes are more than two meters long.”

The boots as well as the rest of the outfit identify us and they stand out as a sort of social and cultural symbol. Use of certain accessories, however extravagant they might be, is a way to display our heritage with pride.

The boots ‘DJ’

The person responsible for the music that leads to dancing with these famous sharp-pointed boots is Erick Rincón, a young Mexican who for the past two years has been in charge of mixing pre-Hispanic and African sounds with the typical Colombian cumbia.

In the documentary developed by Cardenas, the DJ says that the first time he saw Mexican cowboys dancing with those unmistakable boots was at a rodeo in Dallas, Texas.

Photos by Juan Miret 

Preserving our flavors: Sauces that taste of history

Hispanic cuisine sustains itself through sauces, which serve as multicolored coatings with such particular flavors that they are dishes in and of themselves. They are so versatile they are the perfect and irresistible accompaniment for meat, poultry or vegetables.

Huasteca region roots

Pipián sauce may be the Cinderella of Aztec cuisine. “It is not well known, but I don’t hesitate in stating that it is the best one,” said Emmanuel Montes, a chef originally fromTamaulipas,Mexico. He spoke while preparing a version of that salsa in hisTulsarestaurant. “It has a special texture; besides, it brings out the flavor of the dish in which it is used. It is unique.”

Montes said that pipián sauce “is not the mole of the Huastecos; it is simply a wonderful creamy sauce; it is pipián and that’s all.”

His recipe combines the know-how from family and from travel to region known as the Huasteca, which takes in the Mexican states ofHidalgo,Veracruz,San Luis Potosíand Tamaulipas. “One time, traveling along thePanucoRiver, I had a chance to try this type of sauce,” he said. “The most popular are the red and the green ones. The one that I make is slightly orange.”

Among the ingredients that Montes uses are roasted pumpkin seeds, peanuts, sesame and chile ancho, which he describes as “a flavorful chili, because it is not hot; it just adds aroma and taste.”

The dishes chosen by Montes to be drenched in the sauce include a large chicken leg and a large serving of enchiladas. These were served with rice and black beans, which were sprinkled with white cheese. “The freshness of the pipián sauce is the key to success,” he said. “It is also a great alternative for vegetarian dishes, since it is a sauce that is so juicy and with so much flavor that it stands out.”

For a Jalisco ‘birria’

Francisco González, a Mexican cook, said he has perfected the best sauce for a birria, a sort of stew. He put it to the test at his mobile restaurant, usually parked near11th StreetandLewis Avenue. “Few people like to give out their recipe to accompany the birria,” he said. “But it is worth it, so that others may enjoy it.”

Birria is a dish made with mutton, lamb or goat, but it stands out due to the sauce that accompanies it. “Although birria complicated, anyone can make it. But when it comes to the salsa, that’s something else,” González said, while checking the ingredients for his top-notch sauce.

The base of the sauce is made up of tomatoes, tomatillos (the Mexican green tomato), chile de árbol, jalapeños, vinegar, chile ancho, chile serrano, ground cloves, cumin, oregano, black pepper, onion, garlic and salt to taste. “The important thing is the balancing and the amount of ingredients,” said González. “If we go overboard with any of them, then that is all we will taste in the sauce.”

González put the ingredients in a pot of boiling water for 15 minutes. “Then it is blended, although the original method is using a molcajete” he said. “That’s all. The only thing that is missing is the birria.”

A wise adage reminds us that “there is no better sauce than a good appetite.” However, the pipián sauce and the sauce for the birria might be an exception.

Videos

Chef Emmanuel Montes - ‘Salsa Pipián’

http://hispanodetulsa.com/rescatando-nuestros-sabores/

Francisco González - ‘Salsa para Birria’

http://hispanodetulsa.com/una-salsa-para-la-birria-video/

Photos by Juan Miret 

Discovering our tastes – Creole breakfasts: feasts that seem like lunches

Our breakfasts are lengthy feasts that may look more like a lunch than anything else. But, that’s the way we are. For the morning meal of Hispanics, there’s no room for saying: “mine without onions,” or “the sauce on the side” or “light butter please.” No, our creole breakfasts are just that and nothing more: a breakfast with everything. It is like a saying in Spanish about being served lentils that suggests that one eats what is served – or eats nothing.

There are no half measures.

For chef Sumito Estévez, breakfast “is a whole culture,” as he said in a note entitled “Sylvia’s Breakfasts,” published in his blog in 2009. “I’m not exaggerating one bit about breakfast.”

In general our breakfasts are very different from the corn flakes invented in 1906 by Will Keith Kellogg.

With such a feast, Hispanics live up the adage: “Eat breakfast like a king, have lunch like a prince, and dine like a beggar.”

Venezuelan creole breakfast

Hispanics start the day with a voracious appetite and proof  of that was the breakfast served in the restaurant “Los Bohíos” in the city of Coro in Falcon state in Venezuela. The menu was simple, stated in just two words: Creole breakfast. That was it. First there was black coffee, sweetened with brown sugar in a tiny, soufflé type cup known as “guayoyo.” Next was a plate with bits of cheese, lightly salted; these were the appetizers.

The traditional arepas are called “pelá” in that region. This is because cooking takes place in a griddle or comalthat is heated with wood or coal, and after they are cooked, they have to literally be scraped or “peeled” with a knife to remove the soot. The smoky flavor and bits of tender corn make the arepa a dish unto itself.

Finally comes the dish that will end the fast. There are so many components that it could be said that there is a competition for space between them.

A juicy plate of shredded meat, dotted with colorful bell peppers, is the main attraction. Next to it is a large serving of black beans, sprinkled with shredded white cheese, and bordering it is a fried egg with the yolk cooked through and with crispy edges, so it looks like a puff pastry.

Receta del desayuno criollo venezolano

Recipe for a Venezuelan creole breakfast

The recipe is from chef Armando Scannone and can be found in his book, “Mi Cocina,” (My Kitchen).

Arepa Pelá

12 servings

Ingredients

1 pound of white corn

23 cups of water

5 tablespoons of baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Oil to grease the griddle or comal

Preparation

The corn should be cooked a few hours in advance or the day before, so that it will be cold when one grinds it to make the dough.

Select the corn.

Wash the corn in a pot with running water until the water runs clear. Drain.

Put the corn in a large pot with water to cover well — about 13 cups — and the baking soda. Stir. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 1 hour, until it is “al dente.”

Remove from heat and let cool in the same pot with the water that remains.

Once cooled, drain the water, wash and let drain in a colander.

Place the corn on a table and grind until all the husks are removed. Wash again.

Put the corn into another pot with about 10 cups of water and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Then wash and drain.

Grind the corn.

Knead in a large bowl for about 10 minutes.

To make the arepas, make two-inch balls of dough and flatten a bit.

Place in a preheated oven, heated with firewood (f a wood-fired oven is available.)

Set the griddle or comal on a burner. When hot, add a little oil and spread.

Cook the arepas for about 15 minutes, turning once letting the other side cook for about 8 minutes.

The burned part is scraped off with the blade of a knife.

Serve hot.

Carne Mechada (shredded meat)

6 servings

Ingredients

2.2 pounds of beef, preferably flank steak

Meat marinade:

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¾ cup grated onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 teaspoons of salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon cumin

Seasoning for the meat:

¼ cup oil

4 tomatoes, seeded, chopped into quarters

1 red pepper, seeded, chopped into quarters

1 onion, chopped into quarters

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons tomato sauce

Preparation

Clean the meat and make several cuts so that it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Mix the ingredients for the marinade and cover the meat well with this mixture.

Let it sit for at least a half an hour.

Preheat the oven.

Place the meat on a baking sheet and place in oven for about 10 minutes or until done.

Remove from oven and shred the meat, separating into strands.

Heat ¼ cup oil in a skillet or pot; blend the tomatoes, onion and pepper and add the oil; cook for about 3 minutes over medium heat.

Add the shredded beef, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce.

Stir, cover and simmer at low heat, stirring occasionally, for about half an hour until the sauce thickens, the seasoning cooks and the meat absorbs all those flavors.

Taste and add salt or pepper if needed.

Black beans

(6 servings)

Ingredients

2.2 pounds of black beans

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 large onion

1 medium green pepper

6 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon cumin (or more, to taste)

1 bunch of cilantro

¼ cup oil

3 strips of bacon

2 pig’s feet

Preparation

Select the black beans.

The night before, the beans are placed in a container with water and a teaspoon of the soda. The water should be at least two fingers above the beans (as they will expand a bit). Stir and remove any beans that float; cover and let sit overnight.

The next day, wash well with water, then place on burner with enough water to cover; add the green pepper, seeded and cut into four pieces. When it softens, add the pig’s feet; when these soften, replenish the water. All this is done before adding salt, otherwise they won’t soften.

Once soft, add the salt. In a pan with oil, brown the diced bacon, chopped onion and crushed garlic; when golden brown (almost burnt), add to the beans and add the cumin.

Let simmer until the broth thickens and they take in the flavor of the seasoning.

Some 10 minutes before turning the burner off, add the sprig of chopped cilantro.

Photos by Juan Miret 

Our Cuisine: hearth of eccentricities

The monumental variety of the Hispanic cuisine kitchen would overwhelm even the most indulgent gourmet. For culinary experts such as the renowned Catalan chef Ferrán Adria and his Venezuelan counterpart, Sumito Estévez – who are considered at the vanguard of the deconstructive movement – have pegged the expectations of the taste of the future on the ancient recipes of Latin America.

The presence of insects, spiders and a rodent as large as a goat are more than just exotic dishes at the table; they are a unique experience of Hispanics, whose cuisine is appetizing, surprising and tasty.

“The worst thing for innovation is to be predictable,” Adria said during the inaugural conference of InnovaLatino: Fostering Innovation in Latin America, an event held in May in Madrid. “We must change our mindset because it is not just a job but a way of understanding life,” he said. Referring to the Aztec and Mayan cultures, he said, “I’ve always bet on Latin America. If you don’t have an identity it will be very hard to be someone in the world of gastronomy, and they have it.”

Estévez said in September at a food festival in Peru that “virtually all cuisine intellectuals, the same ones that look for trends and possibilities, have been predicting that the next haute cuisine movement will come from our continent (Latin America). He added that “we have to be ready for it, and when our time comes, rise to the occasion.”

Menu of oddities

Mexico

The Aztecs since pre-Hispanic times ate insects. In fact, historians say that the emperors delighted in succulent dishes of grasshoppers, ants, stink bugs and worms. And, obviously, they were sprinkled with strong spices and very hot chilies. Over thousands of years, this exotic practice has made its way into renowned restaurants and is part of the menu of important cooks.

A dish that has been gaining popularity outside of Mexico’s borders is cream of grasshoppers. The basic ingredients are onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, chicken, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper to taste – and grasshoppers. Of this last ingredient, 160 grams are needed to serve four people.

Colombia

Opaque yellow. Big head. Tiny torso. Huge abdomen. Giant pincers. Originally from the region of Santander. It’s an ant known by those in South America as a “large-bottomed” or “big-butt,” an ancient treat for Colombians.

Only the abdomen is eaten; the legs, antennae and heads are discarded. That large section is placed on the grill. As a final touch, salt is added.

These leaf-cutter ants have been eaten in Colombia for centuries, especially by the indigenous Guanes. Some claim the food provides aphrodisiac powers.

Peru

In the southern area of Peru, specifically the Madre de Dios jungle, there is a dish as scary as the Japanese puffer fish: roasted tarantulas.

The Peruvian recipes have included arachnids since 1800, especially in cattle-raising regions. Chefs recommend that the spiders be cooked alive.

Adria says Peruvian cuisine has the widest range internationally because of the mixture of cultures and the high quality of its products. It is “ready to conquer the palates of the world.”

Venezuela

During the Lenten season in this South American country, which is predominantly Catholic, red meat is not eaten, yet fish has a match: the capybara, the world's largest rodent. It is herbivorous.

Farms in Venezuela raise them for domestic consumption, provided they meet legal requirements to sell them to the public. 

Photos by Juan Miret