“The true yam, or ñame (pronounced “ny-AH-may”), is a starchy tuber that originated in the tropical regions of both the Old World and (to a far lesser extent) the New. Extrapolate from this and you may presume that it was brought to the North American mainland by slaves, along with other staples like okra, pigeon peas, and sorghum….
Continue Reading...All Día de los Muertos candy is not created equal. If you’ve ever actually tasted one of those sugar skulls, you already know that. Yes, they’re awfully cute in that Gene Simmons sort of way, but sugar + cornstarch = not terribly tasty. La Zamorana, owned by third generation candy makers, is the place to go for traditional fresh calabaza (pumpkin squash) and camote (sweet potato) candy. Actually, you can’t walk into the tiny East L.A. factory unless you’re a wholesaler, but you can find their products at Mexican markets throughout California, Arizona and a handful of other places scattered throughout the U.S. They make other traditional Mexican sweets, like jamoncillo (milk fudge), on homemade equipment (that guitar-string slicer at right with adjustable tuning pegs *was* pretty brilliant).
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