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Mote (from Quechua: mut'i, through Spanish mote) is the generic name for several varieties of boiled grains, consumed in many regions of South America. It is usually prepared by boiling the grains in water made alkaline by the addition of ashes or lime, a process known as nixtamalization.
It was also a staple food for Native American hunting parties and war bands on long journeys. [1]
In Argentina, mote is consumed primarily in the mountainous northwest region, and less frequently in Cuyo and Patagonia. It is a stew of thin consistency (this is one of the main differences with the soup called locro) made from white hominy, sometimes peeled, and boiled with jume ash. The grains are usually accompanied with small pieces of meat (llama, goat, mutton, beef, pork, poultry and more rarely viscacha and mulita). It is also made with beans and with wheat. In Patagonia, in the northern region, in addition to the stew, it is consumed accompanied with some sort of cool drink, either water, juice, tea, soft drinks, with or without the addition of sugar.
In Bolivia "mote" refers to grain cooked in its husk. Typically, corn is used; fava beans are also used occasionally. When the husk is removed from the grain, the dish is called pelado. The term pelado used alone refers to corn. Wheat pelado is used mainly in soups.
When the term "mote" is used alone, it refers to wheat mote, that is wheat grain boiled and removed from its husk, generally in an industrial process. It is used mainly to make a sweet beverage called mote con huesillos. Salted, it is used to accompany stews and sauces (guisos), in dishes such as porotos con mote, mote guisado and papas con mote. It is also used in soups. In Mapuche cuisine it is used for making a type of dough called catuto in Spanish (mültrün in Mapudungun), for making a slightly alcoholic drink called muday , and as an ingredient in many foods, such as cazuelas and kakoiyael ("food of mote").
Corn mote ( motemei , from mote de maíz) is a husked grain which is used in desserts and savory foods.
In Ecuador, "mote" refers to corn kernels that have been boiled and cooked, which are served peeled. They often accompany popular dishes such as hornado and fritada . They are used in many soups, including caldo de patas. It is also the main ingredient in dishes typical of the city of Cuenca, such as mote pillo , mote sucio and mote pata . [2]
In Peru mote refers to husked white corn kernels that have been boiled with charcoal or firewood, today with calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) powder. In Cusco, Peru, there is a variety called giant corn mote of Cusco (maíz mote gigante del Cusco) that is known for its large size. In Peru, wheat cooked in the manner described above is known as wheat mote (mote del trigo).[ citation needed ]
In Venezuela, this dish is known as mute and consists of husked white corn kernels boiled with ash or calcium hydroxide until they burst completely. In central Venezuela, pork and spices are added to the dish to provide flavor. In the Andean region, it is made with beef stomach (tripe) and in the states of Lara and Yaracuy with goat organs such as liver and kidneys. Corn prepared in this way is used for the arepa pelada from the state of Falcón.
Hominy is a food item produced from dried maize (corn) kernels that have been treated with an alkali, in a process called nixtamalization. "Lye hominy" is a type of hominy made with lye.
In North America, a corn tortilla or just tortilla is a type of thin, unleavened flatbread, made from hominy, that is the whole kernels of maize treated with alkali to improve their nutrition in a process called nixtamalization. A simple dough made of ground hominy, salt and water is then formed into flat discs and cooked on a very hot surface, generally an iron griddle called a comal.
Latin American cuisine is the typical foods, beverages, and cooking styles common to many of the countries and cultures in Latin America. Latin America is a highly racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse with varying cuisines. Some items typical of Latin American cuisine include maize-based dishes arepas, empanadas, pupusas, tacos, tamales, tortillas and various salsas and other condiments. Sofrito, a culinary term that originally referred to a specific combination of sautéed or braised aromatics, exists in Latin American cuisine. It refers to a sauce of tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, garlic, onions and herbs. Rice, corn, pasta, bread, plantain, potato, yucca, and beans are also staples in Latin American cuisine.
Locro is a hearty thick squash stew, associated with Native Andean civilizations, and popular along the Andes mountain range. It is one of the national dishes of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Paraguay, Northwest Argentina and Southwestern Colombia.
Pozole is a traditional soup or stew from Mexican cuisine. It is made from hominy with meat, and can be seasoned and garnished with shredded lettuce or cabbage, chili peppers, onion, garlic, radishes, avocado, salsa or limes. Known in Mesoamerica since the pre-Columbian era, the stew is common across Mexico and neighboring countries, served both as a day-to-day meal and as a festive dish.
Peasant foods are dishes eaten by peasants, made from accessible and inexpensive ingredients.
Nixtamalization is a process for the preparation of maize, or other grain, in which the grain is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, usually limewater, washed, and then hulled. The term can also refer to the removal via an alkali process of the pericarp from other grains such as sorghum.
Peruvian cuisine reflects local practices and ingredients including influences mainly from the indigenous population, including the Inca, and cuisines brought by immigrants from Europe, Asia, and Africa. Without the familiar ingredients from their home countries, immigrants modified their traditional cuisines by using ingredients available in Peru.
Indigenous cuisine of the Americas includes all cuisines and food practices of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Contemporary Native peoples retain a varied culture of traditional foods, along with the addition of some post-contact foods that have become customary and even iconic of present-day Indigenous American social gatherings. Foods like cornbread, turkey, cranberry, blueberry, hominy, and mush have been adopted into the cuisine of the broader United States population from Native American cultures.
Colombian cuisine is a culinary tradition of the six main regions within Colombia. Colombian cuisine varies regionally and is influenced by Indigenous Colombian, Spanish, and African cuisines, with a slight Arab influence in some regions.
Ghanaian cuisine refers to the meals of the Ghanaian people. The main dishes of Ghana are centered around starchy staple foods, accompanied by either a sauce or soup as well as a source of protein. The primary ingredients for the vast majority of soups and stews are tomatoes, hot peppers, and onions. As a result of these main ingredients, most Ghanaian jollof rice, soups, and stews appear red or orange.
Yemeni cuisine is distinct from the wider Middle Eastern cuisines with regional variation. Although some foreign influences are evident in some regions of the country, the Yemeni kitchen is based on similar foundations across the country.
Honduran cuisine is a fusion of Mesoamerican, Spanish, Caribbean and African cuisines. There are also dishes from the Garifuna people. Coconut and coconut milk are featured in both sweet and savory dishes. Regional specialties include sopa de caracol, fried fish, tamales, carne asada and baleadas. Other popular dishes include meat roasted with chismol and carne asada, chicken with rice and corn, and fried fish with pickled onions and jalapeños. In the coastal areas and the Bay Islands, seafood and some meats are prepared in many ways, including with coconut milk. Among the soups the Hondurans enjoy are bean soup, mondongo soup, seafood soups and beef soups. Generally all of these soups are mixed with plantains, yuca, and cabbage, and served with corn tortillas.
Most traditional foods in Guatemalan cuisine are based on Maya cuisine, with Spanish influence, and prominently feature corn, chilies and beans as key ingredients. Guatemala is famously home to the Hass avocado.
Chilean cuisine stems mainly from the combination of traditional Spanish cuisine, Chilean Mapuche culture and local ingredients, with later important influences from other European cuisines, particularly from Germany, the United Kingdom and France. The food tradition and recipes in Chile are notable for the variety of flavours and ingredients, with the country's diverse geography and climate hosting a wide range of agricultural produce, fruits and vegetables. The long coastline and the peoples' relationship with the Pacific Ocean add an immense array of seafood to Chilean cuisine, with the country's waters home to unique species of fish, molluscs, crustaceans and algae, thanks to the oxygen-rich water carried in by the Humboldt Current. Chile is also one of the world's largest producers of wine and many Chilean recipes are enhanced and accompanied by local wines. The confection dulce de leche was invented in Chile and is one of the country's most notable contributions to world cuisine.
Belizean cuisine is an amalgamation of all ethnicities in the nation of Belize and their respectively wide variety of foods. Breakfast often consists of sides of bread, flour tortillas, or fry jacks that are often homemade and eaten with various cheeses. All are often accompanied with refried beans, cheeses, and various forms of eggs, etc. Inclusive is also cereal along with milk, coffee, or tea.
Mazamorra or masamorra is the name for numerous traditional dishes from the Iberian Peninsula and Hispanic America.