E is for ELOTE ASADO

You can´t get more typical than ELOTE ASADO, grilled corn. Sold at every market, along the highways, fairs and street corners, elote asado is the quintessential street food. It is grilled and sold with salt an lemon rubbed on it.

You might be thinking I thought corn was maiz, and it is. When you refer to the grain it is maiz but corn on the cub is ELOTE. (corn ear is mazorca, husk is tusa and olote is the cub whithout the corn).

Much can be said about corn and its relevance in Guatemala and for Guatemalans. Its intimate and sacred relationship can better be understood when you learn about the creation as narrated in the Popol Vuh:

SPANISH

"En vista de que los ensayos anteriores habían fracasado, una vez mas los creadores Tepeu y Gucumatz hablaron. Discutieron y se consultaron entre sí sobre cómo formarían al hombre y que sustancia utilizarían para hacer su carne.

Entonce el gato de monte, el coyote, la guacamaya y el cuerco led dijeron:

-Vengan a Paxil y Cayalá, lugares de abundancia. Allí hay mucho maíz amraillo y maíz blanco. Las anonas, los nances, los zapotes, los matasanos y los jocotes son incontables en ese lugar y todo esta lleno de miel y cacao.

Los creadores se dirigieron a Pazil Cayalá guiados por los animales. Cortaron las mazorcas de maíz amarillo y de maíz blanco y se las entregaron a Ixmucané para que prepara la masa con la que formaron cuatro hombres, a quienes les pusieron los nombres de Balam Quitzé, Balam Ak'ab, Majucutaj e Iquí Balam.

Lo primero que Tepeu y Gucumatz les preguntaron, fue:

-Hombres de maíz, ¿Qué ven? ¡Hablen!

-Vemos lo que hay en el mundo, hasta los cuatro rincones de la Tierra, respondieron.

Al oir esto, los creadores se preocuparon, pues consideraban que no era beno que sus criaturas supieran tanto como ellos, y les soplaron caho en los ojos para empañarles la vista.

En seguida les dieron sus mujeres para que, al despertar se alegraran sus corazones.

Cajá Paluná fue a mujer de Balam Quitzé; a la mujer de Balam Ak'ab la llamaron Chomijá; Tzununijá, a la de Majucutaj, y a la de Iquí Balam le pusieron por nombre K'aquixajá.

Estos cuatro hombres y estas cuatro mujeres fueron los primeros padres y madres de la gente del pueblo quiché."

ENGLISH

In leu of the previous trials and failures more time the creators Tepeu and Gucumatz talked. They discussed and consulted amongst them about how would they form men and about what substance they shall use to form his flesh.

-Come to Paxil and Cayalá, places of plenty. There you can find yellow corn and white corn in abundace. The 'anonas', 'nances', 'zapotes', 'matasanos' y 'jocotes' are uncountable in that place, and everything is filled with honey and cacao.

The creator went to Paxil and Cayalá guided by the animals. Riped the yellow and white corn ears and gave them to Ixmucané for her to prepare the dough from which they formed four men, whom they named: Balam Quitzé, Balam Ak'ab, Majucutaj e Iquí Balam.

The first thing Tepeu and Gucumatz inquired was:

-Men of corn, What do you see? Speak up!

- We see what there is in the world all the way to the four corners of the world, they answered.

When they heard this, the creators got worried, since they considered that it was not good that their creatures knew as much as they did, they blew smoke in their eyes to blur their vision.

They proceeded to give them women so that when they wake up their hearts would rejoice.

Cajá Paluná was the woman of Balam Quitzé; Balam Ak'ab womand was named Chomijá; Tzununijá Majucutaj's, and Iquí Balam´s was named K'aquixajá.

These four men and four women were the first fathers and mothers of the Quiché people.

The previous excerpt was taken from the book POPOL VUH para niños, editorial Piedra Santa.

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