Jícara: what it is, what it is made from and what it is used for

What is it?

The jícara is a natural vessel made from the fruit of the jícaro, or calabash tree (Crescentia cujete and Crescentia alata), used since pre-Hispanic times in Mesoamerica to serve hot chocolate, tejate, pozol, atoles, aguas frescas and ceremonial drinks. The fruit is hollowed out, dried, decorated with incisions or paint, and becomes a light, durable vessel that is ideal for drinks. The jícara is an iconic element of the cuisine and culture of south-eastern Mexico, especially Oaxaca, Tabasco, Chiapas, Veracruz and Guerrero. The famous jícara of Olinalá, in Guerrero, is decorated with a traditional lacquer technique and is considered one of Mexico's most representative crafts. More than a simple container, the jícara is a cultural object laden with symbolism and tradition.

Origin and history

The jícara appears in the Mesoamerican archaeological record from pre-Hispanic times. Codices such as the Borgia and the Mendoza depict it as both a ceremonial and an everyday vessel. In the sixteenth century, Fray Bernardino de Sahagún described how the Mexica served cacao (xocolātl) in decorated jícaras, a custom upheld among the nobility and the pochteca (merchants). The name comes from the Nahuatl xicalli, which passed into Spanish as jícara. In the Maya region it served a similar purpose under names such as luch (Yucatec). After the conquest, the Spanish adopted jícaras for hot chocolate, a custom they carried to Europe where it endured for centuries. The INAH and FONART (the National Fund for the Promotion of Handicrafts) document the jícara of Olinalá (Guerrero) as recognised Cultural Heritage, with artisanal production applying natural lacquer pigmented with minerals using "rayado" and "dorado" techniques found nowhere else in the world. Oaxaca, Tabasco and Chiapas also maintain jícara-making traditions of their own.

Characteristic ingredients

The jícara is obtained from the ripe fruit of the jícaro tree (Crescentia cujete, the criollo calabash, or Crescentia alata, the smaller jícaro). The fruit, spherical or elongated in shape, is cut from the branch, split in half, emptied of pulp and seeds, and left to dry in the sun for weeks until the shell hardens. Once dry, it is sanded to smooth the interior and decorated according to regional tradition: Olinalá jícaras carry aje lacquer (from the cochineal insect) pigmented with minerals and incised with a huizache thorn; Oaxacan jícaras are painted with natural colours or left plain; Chiapan and Tabascan jícaras are usually undecorated and used in everyday cooking. Sizes range from small (10 cm, for an individual serving of chocolate) to large (30-40 cm, for serving tejate or chia water). In Maya and Zoque ceremonial cooking, large jícaras are used to whisk and serve communal drinks. Their ability to keep drinks cool or warm, together with their lightness, makes them ideal for long serving sessions.

Cultural significance

The jícara is an object of deep cultural meaning in Mexico, with culinary, artisanal and ceremonial value. In Oaxaca, tejate (a pre-Hispanic drink of cacao, maize, mamey and rosita de cacao) is traditionally served in large decorated jícaras, forming part of religious festivities and markets. In Tabasco and Chiapas, pozol (a fermented maize drink) is drunk from a jícara, a daily ritual of the Chontal and Zoque peoples. The jícara of Olinalá, in Guerrero, is recognised as a heritage craft: master lacquerers apply their smoothing and incising technique to pieces exhibited in museums around the world (the Smithsonian, the Louvre, the National Museum of Anthropology). Traditional Mexican cuisine, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2010, embraces the jícara as a symbolic utensil. On Day of the Dead altars, jícaras filled with chocolate or water are set out for the souls of the departed. At Maya and Zapotec weddings, decorated jícaras are exchanged as a symbolic gift of union.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a jícara and a jícaro?

The jícaro is the tree (Crescentia cujete or C. alata), native to tropical regions of Mexico and Central America. The jícara is the vessel obtained from its ripe fruit, hollowed out and dried. The tree bears hard-shelled fruit, round or oblong; these fruits, split in half and processed, become jícaras. The term jícara is also applied to similar cups made from gourds.

What does a drink served in a jícara taste like?

The jícara does not alter the flavour of its contents, though new jícaras can lend a subtle vegetal aroma to the first drink served in them. Jícaras in continuous use absorb aromas (chocolate, cacao, atole) and grow more fragrant over time. Temperature holds well: hot drinks stay hot and cold drinks stay cool for longer than in ceramic.

How do you season a new jícara?

Rinse it with water and leave it to dry. Some traditions rub it with lard or oil to make it more watertight, working it in and leaving it in the sun. The lacquered Olinalá jícara needs no additional seasoning. After each use, rinse it without abrasive soap and let it air-dry. It should never be washed with detergents or left submerged for long periods, which would damage the shell.

Where does the jícara come from?

The jícara originated in Mesoamerica, with documented use since pre-Hispanic times among the Nahua, Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec, Zoque and Chontal peoples. Today the main producing regions are Olinalá (Guerrero, with its famous traditional lacquer), Oaxaca, Tabasco, Chiapas and Veracruz. The jícaro tree grows in the tropical and subtropical climates of Mexico and Central America.