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| I had students come and ask me about my myth and art during the museum too! It was so much fun! |
How
Guacamole and Salsa Came to Be
By:
Ms. Christian
Many, many years
ago, when the great Aztec empire woke every morning with the rising of the red
Mexican sun, there lived two brothers.
The brothers were as close as two brothers could be, and even when they
were grown, they constructed their individual homes on the same piece of
land. Each brother eventually had
a family of his own, and each brother had a child that meant the world to him.
One of the
brothers had a precious daughter who was as energetic as the crashing waves on
the Mexican shore, while the other brother had a strong son who was as forceful
as the wind through the trees.
Because of their lively spirits, it was only fitting that the two brothers
decided to name their children for their character. The girl who went by the name Senona, and the boy who was
known as Tulio, became more than just cousins, they became the best of friends.
Growing up on the
family farm, Senona and Tulio gathered vegetables together everyday. While their parents were performing
other tasks around the farm, the two cousins would take the vegetables and cook
food for their families for when they returned from their daily chores. Dinner time was always a great festivity
for Senona,Tulio, and their parents.
They always enjoyed the wonderful food that they had created together.
As the children
grew older, however, their fathers started becoming more and more boastful
about their offspring. Senona had
turned into a beautiful young woman, and her father thought that she was the
most sought-after young bride in all of Mexico. Tulio too had grown, and had turned into a handsome young
man. His father felt that he was
the pride and joy of the Mexican people and would someday make their entire
country proud.
While Senona and
Tulio still desired for the kinship they had when they were children, their
fathers’ pride started to tear the two families apart. Like a fraying blanket coming unwoven,
Senona and Tulio slowly became strangers to one another, until an unlikely visitor
changed everything.
The Aztec land had
become a land desired by people far and wide. Explorers, having heard tales of great treasure, came from
foreign lands just to catch a glimpse of the Mexico that the Aztec people had
always called home.
One day, a Spanish
king, robed in gold and jewels, made his way to the land of the Aztec
nation. On a steel, black
stallion, he found himself on the farm of the two feuding brothers. Taking no mind to the current turmoil
within the family, the two brothers and their families gathered and met the
noble and surprising visitor. The
king did not hesitate when it came to making his wishes known.
“I need a place to
stay while I am exploring your wonderful land. I would very much like to stay here in one of these two
houses, so I can learn more about these beautiful crops you have growing on
your farm,” the king declared in a most regal manor.
It wasn’t but an
instant before the two brothers each suggested that the king stay in his home,
and the king could sense the tension between the two families.
“I see that the
two of you will not be agreeing on who’s home I shall reside, so I best derive
a contest to fairly decide where I will stay,” stated the king.
“I know,”
suggested one of the brothers.
“Since you wish to learn more about our native crops, why don’t you stay
with the family who prepares you the tastiest food using the vegetables from
our farm?”
The king looked
pleased as the other brother chimed in, “On this I must agree with my
brother. Our children have been
cooking with the vegetables from our farm since they were in the dawn of
life. Give them some time to
prepare you a wonderful treat, and then decide which family would be the best
hosts.”
As the brothers
brought to the king’s attention the presence of Senona and Tulio, he was
overcome with wonder. Senona’s
simple beauty was enchanting to the king, and Tulio’s handsome nature made the
king ponder yet another stake in the contest.
“Not only will I
stay with the family whose child cooks me the tastiest dish,” proclaimed the
king, “but I will also take the person who prepares the food back to my country
to marry my son or daughter.”
With the prospect
of one of their children one day sitting on a throne, the two brothers agreed
in awe to the terms of the contest.
Without even consulting Senona and Tulio, the two brothers declared the
competition begun.
While neither
Senona nor Tulio truly desired to be in contest with the other, at the same
time, they did not want to disappoint their fathers. So as they both went to their individual homes, they started
to contemplate just what they would make for their royal guest.
It was no surprise
that they were of the same blood because both Senona and Tulio had just
finished baking a fresh batch of corn tortillas before the surprise visitor had
arrived. And because these two
were such kindred spirits, it was also no surprise when both of them decided to
make a sauce for those tortillas to present to the king.
As Senona stood in
her kitchen she almost sang, “I will make the king a sauce as cool and
refreshing as the blue, green, Caribbean.”
She gathered some
soft avocados and tomatoes, as well as a few chunks of onions and grinded
everything together in a smooth, creamy, mixture.
Tulio, on the
other hand, was creating a different palette for the honored guest. He stated with confidence, “I will make
the king a sauce that he will be sure to remember. My dish will be one that will set fire to his lips and bring
his senses to life.”
So Tulio chopped
up some tomatoes, onions, corn, and some hot chili peppers and mixed them all
together.
After some time in
the kitchen, the two cousins proceeded with their dishes to the great dining
table that had been set in the gravel courtyard between the two homes. As Senona and Tulio trudged toward the
table, their father’s waited eagerly for them to place their creations in front
of the omnipotent foreigner. Each
brother believed wholeheartedly that his child would reign victorious in the
end.
Still being the
sweetest of friends, the beautiful Senona and the handsome Tulio wished each
other the best under their breath as they sat the dishes on the table. Not wanting to outwardly upset their
fathers, the two cousins each shot a familiar glance toward the other, a glance
full of cherished memories and heartache for the way that their families had
been ripped to shreds. Their
familiar exchange however, went completely unnoticed by their fathers as well
as the king.
“Oh how ready I am
to declare a winner of this contest,” the king pronounced steadily. “The food you have prepared sure does
look quite tasty!”
It was without
hesitation that the king tasted both the dishes. One right after the other, he barely took a break to let the
taste linger in his mouth. The
confused look on his face after he had tasted the food, was enough to make both
the brothers nervous, but nerves would soon turn to bitterness as the king
professed his true feelings.
“I am impressed
with both the dishes,” he said…”for I have never tasted such divine combinations
before. You see, I do not know if
I will be able to select just one of you as the true victor…”
And without a blip
of hesitation, the quarrelling began amongst the once cordial brothers. Neither one wanting to admit defeat,
the brothers started to individually rally for their children, not caring at
all about the feelings of those on the other end of their snide comments.
“Senona’s sauce is
better for certain,” her father wailed belligerently.
“Oh but no,” the
other brother yelled. “Tulio’s
sauce is by far the better of the two!”
It seemed like
eternity to the children that their fathers had been bickering, not one of them
ever taking the chance to listen to the other, and it was as the children were
getting frustrated with their parents that something incredibly strange started
to happen.
All of a sudden
the ground started to shake, and a bright light started to shine around the
king. The royal figure’s body
started to transform and when the trembling stopped, there stood the sun god in
all his glory!
“I am
disappointed!” his voice rang out like thunder. “I have given your family bountiful crops since the very day
that your ancestors settled on this fertile land, and this is how you choose to
repay me?”
The brothers
stared at the deity in awe.
“I thought that
your parents, and their parents before them had taught you better than
this? I thought that you knew how
to seek first to understand then to be understood?” the sun god’s voice seemed
to echo throughout the land. “For
your negligence I shall make you pay, and in the process I shall set your
children free from the bondage you have kept them in these many years. They shall be banished from your land
and sent to live a new life, and you will never be able to see them again. This heartbreak you must endure for the
way that you have chosen to treat your own flesh and blood.”
As the children
perked up, the sun god turned his attention to them.
“My children, you
have done nothing wrong, and for this I shall give you a new life. Tulio, just as you set my lips on fire
with your daring dish, and just as you are daring as the wind through the
trees, I shall send you to live in the sky as the handsome, fiery-beaked
toucan. And Senona, just as you
cooled my tongue with your refreshing dish, and just as you are energetic as
the crashing waves, I shall send you to live in the Caribbean Sea as the
beautiful green sea turtle. In
your new lives, you will never be pressured to be anyone but who you are, and
from this day forward, whenever your fathers taste these sauces, they will be
reminded of the break that they have placed in your family.”
And with this
being said, the sun god worked his magic and held true to his plan. Senona and Tulio were sent their
separate ways, but to this very day, when people combine the familiar tastes of
guacamole and salsa, the two friends are once again reunited, if only for a
short while, and reminded of the importance of listening to others first.
