MEXICO

South of the Border

I. Ancient Mexico A. Highly

civilized

long before Columbus discovered America.

B. The

Mayan

and

Aztec

Indians built magnificent stone cities. Their ruins still stand today.

II. Modern Mexico A. Land of

sharp contrasts

1.

High mountains and snowy peaks

2.

Deserts

3.

Jungles

4.

Fertile valleys

5.

Cities

B. People 1. Language -

Spanish

2. 75 of every 100 are

Mestizos

(white and Indian) 3. 15 of every 100 are

pure Indian

.

4. Only 10 of every 100 are

white

.

5.

Indians

were the original inhabitants of Mexico.

6. Most of the whites are descendants of

Spaniards

who came to Mexico after 1500.

C. Way of Life 1.

Small

farm villages a. Houses are made of

adobe

(sun dried clay)

b. House is usually

one

room with hard packed dirt floors and few windows, if any.

c. Kitchen often is a

lean-to-built

of poles against an

outside

wall.

d. Several generations of family often live

together

.

e. Mexican women generally have few activities

outside the home

except they help

cultivate fields

.

f.

Farming

is an important occupation in Mexico.

g. Living conditions in Mexico are

poor

by North American standards.

D. Products 1. Mexico produces more

silver

than any other country.

2. Chief crop is

corn

.

3.

Cotton

4.

Coffee

5.

Bananas

6.

Cacao

E. Dress 1. Peasant dress is

brightly colored

.

2. Men wear the traditional blanket called a

serape

.

3. Women wear a shawl which is called a

rebozo

.

III. Food A. The diet of Mexicans rely on

vegetables

and

grains

instead of meat and dairy products.

B. Their favorite holiday dish is

turkey

cooked with a sauce made of

chocolate

,

chili

,

sesame seeds

, and

spices

.

C. Mexican cuisine can be described as

highly seasoned foods

with

chili

and other strong

peppers

.

IV. Food Terms A. Maize –

Indian corn

B. Tortilla –

Flat pancake cooked on an ungreased griddle. Chief cornmeal dish

.

C. Taco –

Tortilla filled with chop meat, chicken, cheese.

D. Enchilada –

Tortilla used to wrap meat or other food like a sandwich. Served with sauce.

Baked

. E. Tamale –

Cornmeal mixed with seasoned meat and wrapped in corn husks

.

F. Tostada –

Tortilla fried in deep fat until crisp

.

G. Frijoles –

Boiled beans – second most common food

.

H. Atole –

Thick cornmeal gruel

.

I.

Chocolati – Sauce made from cacao bean used in

drinks and sauces – chocolate

.

J. Champurrado –

Milk with sprinkling of cinnamon and grated chocolate

.