amaranth – My Slice of Mexico

Amaranth Paste – A Healthy Treat for the Day of the Dead

November 2, 2020November 2, 2020by Irene3 Comments

El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated in Mexico on November 2, and amaranth was an important element in offerings for this occasion in pre-Hispanic times. Not long after the Spanish conquest, the Catholic church sent priests and missionaries to the new lands, taking the colonies by storm; they replaced the native rituals for the dead with great success, and the native amaranth was replaced with European wheat, both as a crop and for religious applications, such as for the now traditional Bread of the Dead (Pan de muerto). Nowadays, amaranth seed has become very popular worldwide, as a healthy cereal substitute; as a way to observe the Day of the Dead, I made a batch of cooked amaranth paste, and formed it into skulls ... click on title for more

Desserts, snack, appetizer

Traditional Sweets – Alegrías and Wafers with Amaranth

October 31, 2020November 6, 2020by Irene20 Comments

Popping seeds is a traditional way to cook amaranth in Mexico, where it is easy to find, as well as many sweets prepared with it. In other countries, raw amaranth seed has become readily available for its health benefits, and once popped at home, it may be used to prepare those traditional Mexican sweets, such as the all-time favourite alegrías - "joys", or wafer sandwiches ... click on title for more

gardening, History, Ingredients

FOTD – Amaranth

September 26, 2019by Irene22 Comments

The Greek roots of the word Amaranth mean "unfading flower", due to its resistance to inclement weather and pests. The Nahuatl name is huāuhtli and it was cultivated in pre-Hispanic Mexico for its seeds, consumed in beverages (similar to atole), as a substitute of corn (where this crop was hard to cultivate), and even as part of a ceremonial treat … click on title for more