Tegucigalpa, (EFE).- A nursery located in a rural community in the Nicaraguan department of Carazo, in the Pacific, became the new sensation for tourists who visit that area. The reason: corn tortillas are offered here, but not only the traditional ones, but also, as in the past, multi-colored ones.
The owner is Ramón Potosme, a Nicaraguan indigenous man who is proud to descend from the Chorotega ethnic group, who, along with his wife, Rótsen López, have taken on the task of rescuing that ancestral tradition of making colored tortillas, which accompany, if the customer as desired, fresh curd, cooked beans, cream or butter, and a cup of hot coffee.
Tortillas, that essential companion at the table, are served hot and in black, yellow and even pink colors, to the surprise of diners.
The color of the tortilla is given by the different varieties of corn that the indigenous people still cultivate in those lands and try to preserve in Nicaragua as a form of resistance, explained to EFE Potosme, a Chorotega descendant who abandoned journalism to rescue the ancestral culture. of their ancestors.
Corn is a typical grain that is used in the preparation of popular drinks in Nicaragua, such as tiste, pozol, pinol, pinolillo, atol, chicha, among others, as well as for the preparation of tortillas that in on few occasions and places they are served in a variety of colors, a tone that is only given by the type of grain that is used, he indicates.
They rescue varieties of corn seeds
The rarity of seeing colored tortillas in Nicaraguan dishes is due to the custom of growing only white corn, economic factors and little access to the variety of seeds, comments Potosme, a native of Carazo.
The Nicaraguans who still preserve and cultivate the different varieties of corn are mainly the elderly who sow for their own consumption and that of their families, or to remember recipes from their ancestors.
On the other hand, the cost of a quintal of colored corn, such as purple, is twice the price of a quintal of traditional white corn, very common throughout Nicaragua and the most widely used.
Potosme, also owner of the Nambume nursery (which in the Chorotega language means heart, dedicated to the production and sale of medicinal, ancestral, culinary, citrus, and ornamental plants, among others), is a member, along with other neighbors, of a seed bank of corn that seeks, among other things, to preserve the indigenous roots through cultivation.
“We are vindicating the native corn varieties that we have in Nicaragua, which have been preserved by dozens of guardians, most of them elderly now,” he maintains.
In that bank they have managed to rescue a total of 13 varieties of corn, says Potosme, who explains that, in his case, he has been able to sow around 7 in the nursery, of which they make tortillas that are marketed in the same place in the form of drinks, tamales and tortillas in different shades and that has been the sensation among the people who visit the nursery.
A way to honor your ancestors
In addition to the traditional tortillas made from white corn, this nursery prepares black tortillas made with black corn or pink tortillas made with Moorish or red corn, as a way of showing the public their indigenous roots and remembering part of the of the traditional cuisine of their ancestors.
In addition to showing the varieties of corn that exist in Nicaragua, the Nambume promotes the resumption of ancestral processes and traditional techniques for preparing the most endearing dishes made from corn.
“If we use the diversity of grains that we have and recognize them, we could have something much richer on our plate and honor our grandparents,” Potosme points out.
Tortillas can be made with all shades, but some varieties are better used for tamales, atol or pozol, among other drinks.
Potosme emphasizes that the varieties of grains have different properties, in terms of proteins, antioxidants and sugar levels, depending on their color.
With the new offer of colorful tortillas, people are crowded at Nambume, especially on weekends, because there are not many options to go eat something “that reminds you of your grandparents,” says Rótsen López, co-owner. of Nambume.
“(Part of the people) come out of curiosity, and there is another group of people who have already tried (the tortillas), and the first thing people say is: This reminds me of my grandmother! Or that’s how my great-grandmother used to do it!” she says.
The delicious colored tortillas, a novelty for the new generation of Nicaraguans, is part of the ancestral resistance in Nicaragua, the couple celebrates.