In the Stavropol State Agrarian University Maslenitsa was met not only with Russian, but also with Mexican pancakes

On the third day of Pancake Week, the university hosted a culinary show with the participation of a professor from Mexico. Cooking was accompanied by immersion in the traditions of Russians and Mexicans.

Traditional dishes were prepared in the well-equipped kitchen of the SSAU Faculty of Socio-Cultural Service and Tourism, where the hotel infrastructure was completely recreated.

Acting dean of the faculty Anna Grigorievna Ivolga and her assistants baked delicious pancakes with cottage cheese, sour cream, jam and cooked okroshka.

Ana Burges, PhD, from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, together with English-speaking students, created a gastronomic surprise based on a Mexican taco recipe. It turned out a kind of "Mexican pancakes." In a thin cake of cornmeal (tortilla), the professor wrapped a bright, multi-colored filling of meat, onions, sweet peppers, corn, pineapple, greens. She topped it all with guacamole.

The sauce is made from avocados with the addition of chopped tomatoes, onions, chili peppers and lemon juice. Residents of Mexico eat it almost daily. Avocado grows in their every yard. The hostess only needs to go out into the garden and pick ripe fruits from a 15-meter tree hung with “green pears”. The fruit must be cut in half, freed from the stone, take out the pulp with a spoon and knead it with a fork. A little secret: so that the mass does not darken while other ingredients are being prepared, you need to put an avocado bone in it. If you buy an avocado in a store, then on the shelves it is often found hard - unripe. Life hack from Ana Burges: in a bag at room temperature, in a couple of days, the fetus will reach the desired condition.

The traditions associated with guacamole are closely intertwined with the history of Mexico. Initially, the indigenous people prepared the sauce from avocados, tomatoes and chili. With the arrival of the Spaniards, onions and lemons appeared on the continent, which complemented the national dish. It is noteworthy that the colors of the ingredients of guacamole: avocado, tomatoes and onions (green, red and white) are the colors of the Mexican flag. A bright palette of colors is an important component of the life and mentality of Mexicans, which is reflected in the national cuisine.

“While we were cooking, it seemed that we should talk more about taste moments, but we talked about color,” Anna Grigorievna Ivolga shares her observations. - For example, Ana, looking at the dish, said that it lacked green. Not the taste of herbs, spices, but the color. That is, for Mexicans it is important that the food was, first of all, visually bright and varied in color.”

Ana Burges herself lives in a country house in her homeland and, in addition to the usual avocado, grows cacti. They have been eaten in Mexico since ancient times and are produced by plantations, as in Russia - wheat, and in China - rice. At the same time, special varieties of cacti are intended for food. Those that grow in our apartments and offices are inedible.

In Mexico, there is no Maslenitsa, which, in addition to Christian customs, is associated with seeing off winter (and pancakes represent the sun, the warmth of which is so long awaited in Russia). Mexico is hot and sunny all year round. However, at the university where Ana Burges works, they know about the Shrovetide tradition. On the website of the educational institution there are materials with a photo where her tanned colleagues in blouses, sundresses and kokoshniks, together with representatives of the Russian embassy, joyfully meet the old Russian folk holiday.

“I have the most positive impressions of Russia, our cooperation and today's culinary meeting. Such moments are very important for cultural exchange, development of understanding between countries and peoples,” Ana Burges shared. She added that her favorite dishes in our country are borsch and liver cake (she had not tried liver products before coming here).

Recall that, together with SSAU scientists, the Mexican professor is exploring local agricultural experience in the Stavropol region as part of a large scientific project, which will also describe the experience of India, China and other countries with a large territory, arid regions and risky farming. In parallel with the scientific work, the guest conducts an author's course of lectures at the Agrarian. 

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