ATOLE
THE SPIRITUAL FOOD
by Bert Gunn

Why am I writing about food? Well, I have been “working with” Atole for quite a while now, and see it as a metaphor for many things. To me, Atole epitomizes many of our Spiritual beliefs. How can a food, a lowly simple drink made of water, corn, and sugar be so honored?
My first experience of Atole came when visiting Tlakaelel in Coacalco, Mexico. We had arrived late at night, and early in the morning I heard a faint call Ah to leee....... Ah to leeee.... It got louder and louder. When I asked Tlakaelel what the sound was, he said “let’s go”. Well, we went into the street just as the Atole man came by. We asked for some, and he poured out two plastic cups of hot milky pink liquid. Was it strawberry milk? No, Tlakaelel said it was made of corn. Well, I got very curious, and began to learn what I could about this mysterious liquid. I later saw it for sale in bus and subway stations by similar vendors with little push carts. I later learned the ingredients; water, finely ground corn masa (the same powder used to make tortillas), sugar (usually Panela, a dark raw sugar), a little salt, and normally a little canela (cinnamon). Often strawberries or other items are added for flavor. At times, rice flour is used instead of or with the corn.

One time on another trip to Mexico, I was invited to the thousand year anniversary of Tilontongo, a small town outside of Nochixlan. This tiny town hosted thousands of visitors. It was the first time ever that a bus had come to Tilontongo. This proud but poor town had almost nothing to give to it’s guests. They soaked corn and made delicious tortillas. They slaughterd a few goats for meat,a nd made huge pots of beans. The food was served on Nopal (a flat cactus leaf) leaves instead of plates. And there was the perrenial Atole.

Atole is one of the cheapest foods to make. It takes a short time, and is hot, nutritious, and filling. A cup of hot Atole can keep a person warm and full all day, it seems. Atole is called a spiritual food, and used at most important ceremonies.
So what is so symbolic about Atole? Well, like spirituality, it is simple, costs almost nothing, and therefore is available to everyone. It is a food of the people - for all people. Often the simplest things are the most important. So often we overlook the simple flavors and look to the exotic and exciting flavor of bottled soda, or of coffee, or something “more sophisticated”. We miss the simple nutritional goodness of a simple life.
To make Atole, boil a gallon or two of water, add some Panela (the raw sugar), or brown sugar, or honey. Add a little salt, perhaps a half teaspoon, and 3 cinnamon sticks, or some ground cinnamon. While the water is heating, mix a cup of masa (corn flour, not corn meal) in about a quart of water till smooth. Slowly pour the masa and water into the boiling water while stirring so it does not lump, or burn. Stir until boiling. Be careful because if you leave it, or cover it too soon, it may boil over making an incredible mess on your stove (as I do on occasion). Boil gently for a few minutes to an hour. You can alter any ingredient or add a couple blended banannas, strawberries, squash or pumpkin (it is great!), or what ever your imagination comes up with. Acid fruits or juices do not seem to go well in Atole, however. You could substitute rice flour instead of or with the corn.
One can also make a thick breakfast Atole using corn masa, or corn meal, or blue corn flour or meal. Boil 2 or 3 cups of water, and add in a quarter cup of corn meal or masa which you have mixed into a paste with some water. Add salt, and slowly add the paste, stirring well for the next 5 minutes. Let sit a few minutes, add butter if you want, and eat. Breakfast atole can also be made from rice flour or boiled down oatmeal.
It takes some people a while to get used to Atole, and some never do, but I feel some sense of mission to introduce Atole to this country. People here spend two dollars for a quart of soy or rice milk, while Atole costs probably a quarter per quart. It is good hot or cold and represents a true food of the Americas.

PART TWO;
note; still in the process of refining and editing so this part is a little unfinished....

After I showed my small article on Atole to Tlakaelel, he told me a little more. In the army, when there was not enough food to feed the troops, they would sometimes just make atole. Atole is not always sweet, sometimes, atole is made with ground peas, and even chili, which is called chilatole.
It seems that in Mexico, there is something called Hijo de Maize Tostada. There is as special atole made for couples trying to have children. It is said to be aphrodesiac, and since I am sure you all want to try it, I am including the recipe here. Toast and grind blue corn, and make the usual atole with it, adding cinnamon and panela (raw sugar). Add other ingredients to taste. Children born from this medicine are called hijos de maiz tostada, or “children of toasted corn”.
Another food similar to atole, and which can be made into atole, is pinole. A dry powder eaten dry, or mixed into an instant atole with water. Toast and grind corn, add ground cinnamon, sugar, vanilla (optional), and add any of these other ingredients if desired; strawberries, tamarind, toasted amaranth, honey, or guyaba, toasted corn, or maguey juice. This is an ancient food, perhaps older than atole.
To make atole de puscua, make a paste of atole, and ferment. It is eaten by biting off a piece of the fermented mass, and then a bite of piloncin, the raw sugar in big lumps.
To make Tezguino, soak corn in water 2 days, put in a basket in the sun, and when it sprouts, let it dry and also ferment a little. Grind the corn and mix with a little piloncin - no sugar, and let ferment 2 days more. Serve with a little lemon juice, ice, and salt in a glass. Very refreshing.
Atole 3
there are different atoles of masa like
altole de mais azul made with blue corn
chilatole with salt not sugar and green chiles
atole verde mix of corn flour and green peas (small fresh ones) and epazpte with salt not sugar
atole blanco masa not sweet and chew on piloncillo after sipping
atole de puscua boil masa then let it ferment and dry
posol is eaten in chiapas mainly but is a food of other places as welll
Masa in a ball wrapped in banana leaves for a journey, poor people mix with water and sprinkle cocoa on top in a gourd
others take texcalate which is masa mixed with pure seeds of cocoa and sugar, mixed well with water when eaten.
Atole de guyaba
atole de masa de sabores ( different fruits guyaba tamarind, pina, strawberry, nuts, vanilla, canela, banana, coconut, chocolate, anise y canela, cajeta (sweetened condensed milk )
atole de pinole de maiz y amaranto
atole de elote (fresh corn with sugar)
atole de masa y los semillas de peru (be careful because young peru seeds are poisonous) only when a little dry and very red, clean very well pick carefully. Soak in water to mix with masa. No other sugar.
esquites; boil fresh corn with lard epazote green chile serrano salt (don’t add water)
texcales de elote young - grind well and mix cinnamon anise and piloncillo. Add a little egg if needed. Or milk, or in other places water. Shapr into a ball then press into triangular shape with rounded corners.
(In ancient times, in some places, they put in a comal of clay and heat (on top of tiny stones like ant stones)

for tamales de elote
grind fresh cut corn mix with butter and masa (dry about 1/3 masa 2/3 elote)

tejuino from jalisco;
slightly fermented masa one liter to gallon water so it is dense. Mix with water and boil, mix with lemon, drink cold or over ice.
Atole nueva de Merida: fresh masa, piloncillo, canela

there is even an atole magazine.
Some other types, still to research..........
Te de pina
tepache de pina fermented
atole de magey

PART 3

there are different atoles of masa like
altole de mais azul made with blue corn
chilatole with salt not sugar and green chiles
atole verde mix of corn flour and green peas (small fresh ones) and epazote herb with salt not sugar
atole blanco masa not sweet and chew on piloncillo after sipping
atole de puscua boil masa then let it ferment and dry
posole is eaten in chiapas mainly but is a food of other places as well
Masa in a ball wrapped in banana leaves for a journey, poor people mix with water and sprinkle cocoa on top in a gourd
others take texcalate which is masa mixed with pure seeds of cocoa and sugar, mixed well with water when eaten.
Atole de guyaba
atole de masa de sabores ( different fruits guyaba tamarind, pina, strawberry, nuts, vanilla, canela, banana, coconut, chocolate, anise y canela, cajeta (sweetened condensed milk )
atole de pinole de maiz y amaranto
atole de elote (fresh corn with sugar)
atole de masa y los semillas de peru (be careful because young peru seeds are poisonous) only when a little dry and very red, clean very well pick carefully. Soak in water to mix with masa. No other sugar.
esquites; boil fresh corn with lard epazote green chile serrano salt (don’t add water)
texcales de elote young - grind well and mix cinnamon anise and piloncillo. Add a little egg if needed. Or milk, or in other places water. Shapr into a ball then press into triangular shape with rounded corners.
(In ancient times, in some places, they put in a comal of clay and heat (on top of tiny stones like ant stones)

tesquino

from pacific coast
wet corn, put in cloth bag in sun. Let it germinate till 1 inch sprouts, dry it in the sun, grind. Then wet the flour and make masa ball. Put in the sun 2 or 3 days till it ferments, and smells sour. Put it in water, mix (small amount 1 teaspoon to one tablespoon into a cup of water, boil it. Put a little coarse salt and ice chips in a cup, wet rim of glass and dip in salt (like a margarita). Put a tiny bit of piloncio, ice, salt, lemon and tesquino.

for tamales de elote
grind fresh cut corn mix with butter and masa (dry about 1/3 masa 2/3 elote)

tejuino from jalisco;
slightly fermented masa one liter to gallon water so it is dense. Mix with water and boil, mix with lemon, drink cold or over ice.
Atole nueva de Merida: fresh masa, piloncillo, canela

there is even an atole magazine.
Te de pina
tepache de pina fermented
atole de magey
atole de jobo fruit, yellow
champorado with chocolate

Zacahuil gigant tamale
champurrado