Pozole: what it is, history and traditional Mexican recipe

What is it?

Pozole is a thick broth made with cacahuazintle maize that has been nixtamalised and opened in the shape of a flower, cooked for hours with meat (traditionally pork, also chicken, seafood or mushrooms) and served with garnishes of lettuce, radish, onion, oregano, lime and powdered chilli. It is one of Mexico's oldest and most emblematic dishes: there are three great regional families, red pozole from Jalisco, white pozole from Guerrero and Guerrero's green pozole with pumpkin seed. It is served mainly on Thursdays and Saturdays in fondas, and is the obligatory dish of the national-holiday dinners of 15 and 16 September throughout the Republic.

Origin and history

Pozole has a pre-Hispanic origin documented in the Florentine Codex of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún (sixteenth century). In the original Aztec version it was a ritual dish for the god Xipe Totec prepared with the flesh of sacrificed captives, reserved for the tlatoani and the priests. After the prohibition of ritual cannibalism by the Franciscans in 1521, human flesh was replaced with pork, the animal newly introduced by the Spanish whose flavour was, according to the chronicles, very similar. The word pozole comes from the Nahuatl pozolli, meaning "frothy" or "boiled", in reference to the flower shape that the cacahuazintle maize grain opens into when cooked with lime. During the viceregal period the regional variants consolidated, and by the nineteenth century pozole was already the central dish of the national-holiday festivities, a function it retains to this day.

Characteristic ingredients

The ingredient that defines pozole is cacahuazintle maize, a criollo variety with large white kernels that are nixtamalised with quicklime, de-headed (the pedicel removed) and boiled until they burst into a flower shape. The traditional meats are head, backbone and pork loin, although chicken, prawn (Guerrero and Sinaloa), mushroom and jackfruit versions are now prepared. The difference between the three pozoles lies in the broth: white pozole has no chilli, red is coloured with guajillo and ancho, and Guerrero's green incorporates ground pumpkin seed, tomatillo, chile serrano and epazote. The garnishes are sacred: finely chopped romaine lettuce or cabbage, sliced radish, white onion, dried oregano, chile piquín and lime halves. In Jalisco it is accompanied with tostadas and crema; in Guerrero with mezcal and chicharrón.

Cultural significance

Pozole is the emblematic dish of the Mexican national holidays: practically every family in the country cooks it or eats it on the nights of 15 and 16 September, as well as at Christmas, New Year and birthday gatherings. It forms part of the traditional Mexican cuisine inscribed by UNESCO in 2010 as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In Guerrero there is the ritual of "jueves pozolero", the day on which every fonda and restaurant in the state prepares green pozole as the dish of the day. The economy of pozole is significant: cacahuazintle maize is grown above all in the High Valleys of the State of Mexico, Tlaxcala and Puebla, and there are commercial pre-cooked varieties ("maíz pozolero") that have democratised its domestic preparation outside the producing zones.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between red, white and green pozole?

White pozole (Guerrero) is the base broth without chilli, to which each diner adds salsa to taste. The red one (Jalisco) contains chile guajillo and ancho ground into the broth. Guerrero's green pozole incorporates toasted pumpkin seed, tomatillo, chile serrano and epazote, which gives it a thicker, more herbal flavour.

What type of maize is used for pozole?

Cacahuazintle maize is used, a criollo variety with large white kernels that is nixtamalised with quicklime. When cooked it opens into a flower shape, an essential feature of the dish. There are also commercial pre-cooked presentations in tin or bag, known as maíz pozolero.

Is pozole spicy?

The base broth is not necessarily spicy: white pozole contains no chilli, and the red and green varieties are moderately spicy. The heat is adjusted at the table with chile piquín, chile-de-árbol salsa or regional salsas. It is the diner who decides the final intensity.

Why is pozole eaten on 15 September?

Because of its pre-Hispanic origin, pozole is associated with Mexica identity and is regarded as a national-table dish. During the nineteenth century it consolidated as the ritual meal of the night of the Grito de Independencia, a custom that spread throughout the country and is kept as a family tradition.