Fronteras: New book series preserves indigenous foods and traditions of South Texas and Northeastern Mexico

By Norma Martinez,

Published April 26, 2024 at 6:00 AM CDT

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The University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas Tech University Press will launch a new indigenous foodway book series titled Indigenous Foodways of Texas and Northern Mexico. Chef and food writer Adán Medrano (right) will serve as the editor. He is pictured with Amy Rushing (left), assistance vice provost for UTSA Special Collections.

Courtesy of the University of Texas at San Antonio.

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The University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections and Texas Tech University Press will partner to develop a new book series to preserve Indeginous food tradtions, techniques, and histories. It draws on UTSA's extensive Mexican Cookbook Collection.

Texas Tech University Press

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The University of Texas at San Antonio's Mexican Cookbook Collection features more than 2,000 cookbooks. UTSA Special Collection's new series, Indigenous Foodways of Texas and Northern Mexico, builds on the exisiting collection.

Courtesy of the University of Texas at San Antonio

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The Mexican Cookbook Collection at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Courtesy of UTSA

Throughout the centuries, food traditions of Mexican and indigenous peoples have been passed down orally from generation to generation.

A new series hopes to highlight the food traditions, techniques, and histories that some argue are carried in our blood.

The University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections and Texas Tech University Press have partnered to spotlight indigenous foodways in a new book series, Indigenous Foodways of Texas and Northern Mexico.

The series builds on the university’s extensive Mexican Cookbook Collection, which features more than 2,000 cookbooks dating back to 1789. It’s the largest of its kind in the U.S.

Steph Noell, a librarian with the UTSA Libraries Special Collections, explains how the collection inspired the university to take a look at indigenous foodways.

“I think every cookbook we have has these throughways of indigenous traditions because you can’t make a tamal without it being a reference to traditions that go back thousands of years,” they said. “So, I think that every one of our cookbooks has this representation of indigenous traditions.”

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TPR's Norma Martinez interviews chef and writer Adán Medrano (left) and Steph Noell (right), a librarian with the Universiy of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections. UTSA Special Collections and Texas Tech University Press have partnered for the new book series, Indigenous Foodways of Texas and Northern Mexico.

Texas Public Radio / Marian Navarro

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From left to right: UTSA Special Collections librarian Steph Noell, TPR's Norma Martinez, chef and writer Adán Medrano.

Texas Public Radio / Marian Navarro

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Adán Medrano (left), acclaimed chef and writer. Credit: Courtesy of Adán Medrano; Steph Noell (right), librarian with the University of Texas at San Antonio Libararies Special Collections. Courtesy of UTSA.

Chef, writer, and filmmaker Adán Medrano is the editor of the new series.

Medrano said the series aims to preserve centuries-old food traditions of the people who lived in the region prior to colonization.

“When you share beautiful food, people come together. I think the world becomes more beautiful. That’s the point of the series,” he said. “For the first time, we are partnering to bring the voice of the cooks of South Texas and Northeastern Mexico.”

The series is collecting stories, histories, and recipes from people all across Texas.

To share your story, email specialcollections@utsa.edu or adan@jmcommunications.com