In the classroom this week, we learned that after the Mexican War of Independence, California became a part of the First Mexican Empire. The Spanish diet featured wheat; wheat was the grain of the Bible. The Mesoamerican and Mexican diets, on the other hand, featured corn; corn was a literal god. Students watched a short Eater Forklore film about corn and its role in both Indigenous and modern cultures.
In the kitchen we made tortillas from scratch and got to work with wooden tortilla presses. We have traditionally taught this lesson in the fall, when California tomato season is at its peak, but no one let the winter weather or produce get in the way of our enjoying fresh, warm tortillas and a simple pico de gallo together.
