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Corn has been the basis of the diet of the inhabitants of this territory since pre-Hispanic times. Each region, each town, had its corn; its inhabitants cultivated and developed it. During the 20th century and part of the 21st century, population growth, technological advances, and the need to produce more food put the survival of many of these local corn varieties at risk with the development of hybrid varieties and crop homogenization. Fortunately, there are people in various fields who have been concerned about the permanence of native corn. Diversity means biological richness. And one way to keep them alive is to consume them and encourage their production. Scientists have understood all of this not only but also by businesspeople and chefs, among others. In Mexico City, several places produce products with native corn and promote responsible trade, which directly benefits the producers.
Maizajo
It emerged in 2016, and its only branch is in Azcapotzalco. Currently, at the helm of the project are chefs Santiago Muñoz Moctezuma, Daniela Moreno, and Gerardo Vázquez Lugo. They work with small producers from the State of Mexico, Oaxaca, Querétaro, Puebla, and Tlaxcala. Besides products like masa, tortillas, tostadas, totopos, appetizers, and Mexican food, they also offer catering service, workshops, and consulting services. Part of its aim is to generate reliable information on corn throughout its product cycle.
556 Soledad Street, El Jaguey. Azcapotzalco, 02519, CDMX. Mexico.
Molino “El Pujol”
This place is a project by chef Enrique Olvera, who has been interested in native corn protection for a long time. It is in the Condesa neighborhood, in front of Rosario Castellanos bookstore of the Fondo de Cultura Económica. Now, they work with Oaxacan corn from Mixtec, Chontal, Zapotec, and Chinantec families, but they plan to look for suppliers in other states and contribute to the promotion and diffusion of this corn. Besides tortillas, which supply Chef Olvera’s restaurants and are sold to the public by dozen, Molino “El Pujol” also sells other products derived from this cereal, such as tamales, tacos, corn, sauces, and beverages, among other dishes.
146 Gral. Benjamín Hill Street, Hipódromo Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, 06100, CDMX, Mexico.
Instagram: @molinopujol
Expendio de Maíz
On Yucatán Street, in the Roma neighborhood, is located this space to have breakfast or lunch and learn about corn. Paulino Martínez, Jesús Salas Tornés and Ludwig Godefroy lead this project. The grains they use come from different communities in the country, mainly from Guerrero and Chalco. The tortillas they make supply El Parnita and Páramo restaurants, among others.
Expendio de Maíz is a restaurant that has no fixed menu: they prepare their dishes daily with what they find in the market. It is fresh Mexican cuisine, with vegetarian and vegan options. It seeks to support local Mexican producers and favor responsible trade. Gorditas, sopes, memelas, atoles, and tejuinos, among many others, are dishes that the team prepares with care to the delight of diners.
84 Yucatán Street, North Roma, 06700, CDMX, Mexico.
https://www.expendiodemaiz.com/
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