Mesquite, cactus, and pecans were staple ingredients in South Texas prior to Spanish colonization.
Although indigenous ingredients have evolved since then, they continue to impact and connect to culture and traditions today.
Texas Public Radio examined indigenous foodways during a Great SA panel discussion on Nov. 8, 2023, moderated by TPR’s Norma Martinez.
Christine Ortega, a San Antonio businesswoman who created cultural programming on public television, said food is often used in cultural and medicinal practices.
She pointed to the Mexican tradition of a limpia, a ritual that involves elders, predominantly women, who rub your body with an egg to get rid of any evil spirits.
“Just the act of soothing someone with food in that way, it's how we channel our love sometimes with those foods,” she said. “We use food in that way to comfort and to share. Love is what heals us as individuals and as a community.”
San Antonio native Rebel Mariposa, founder of La Botánica, the first vegan restaurant in Texas to open with a full bar and venue, was also a panelist.
She said food was an important part of her life-long journey to connect to her indigenous roots.
“It was important in me coming to terms with who I really am and my indigeneity and my power,” she said.
Other panelists included Ramón Juan Vásquez, executive director for the American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions, and chef, writer and filmmaker Adán Medrano.
Listen to the first part of the panel here.
View video of the event below:
