Bollitos
Rose and Beberly are back for another quarterly, 2-week visit to work with the women’s group, and this time they have been welcomed with a traditional luncheon of Bollitos. I’ve never made them myself … but I’ve been to lots of events where they have been served.
For most of the women here, making bollitos would start with growing the corn, drying it and storing it. When they are ready to cook, the women go through a relatively lengthy process of boiling and rinsing to prepare their corn for grinding. Then they take it to the closest molino (mill) to have it processed into maza (corn dough). They would then mix it with the whole cooked black beans.
A measure of the maza is placed in the middle of a precut piece of a leaf of a banana palm.
Then the leaf is folded into a packet which is placed into a large pot with some water that is brought to the boil to steam them for about an hour.
While they cook, the women prepare a fresh tomato sauce.
The bollitos are unwrapped and the sauce is lathered over top.
Then you try to get a photo before they are gone!!
Mission Ix-canaan is a Mayan word that means “guardians of the rainforest.” The goal of Project Ix-canaan is to assist people who live in the jungle, through improved health, education and opportunity, to become the true guardians of the rainforest. To conduct tourism in a way that is ecologically sound, brings prosperity to the locals and education to all, is a top priority to Project Ix-canaan. Another mandate is to promote sustainable jungle culture by focusing research on the alimentary, medicinal and industrial value of the seeds of the Ix-canaan, and all, jungle trees.