FOOD OF THE GODS

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Food of the Gods (Alimento de los Dioses) was a learning experience, being able to portray in an intimate way the process in which Doña Juanita Cajas de Citalán makes chocolate from the cocoa beans. Cocoa, being an ancient fruit, was used by the Mayans to make ancestral drinks and likewise as currency, it gives us such a unique product which allows us to make foods that last throughout history. Doña Juanita, who opens the doors of her home in Quetzaltenango for me, in such a pleasant way, explains to us that the production of chocolate begins when she receives the cacao seeds, which she lets dry in the sun for a period, and then toasts them in a comal or a griddle as the grandmothers used to do. Following this she proceeds to grind the seeds, which, with her very secret recipe of ingredients, she manages to homogenize a thick paste, in order to pat it down to create the chocolate tablets which she makes by hand one by one.

Doña Juanita, at 92 years old, accompanied by her granddaughter Andrea, who is the heir to the recipe, allowed us to delve into this experience so rich in history and wisdom. I left his home full of knowledge, with an aroma of chocolate impregnated in the depths of me and my palate wanting to continue tasting that magnificent flavor, grateful to be able to portray him and share his legacy, which I hope will last in history.