About Tesgüino's Importance
One of the most important uses of corn for the Raràmuri is the making of their favorite alcoholic beverage, tesgüino (also sometimes called batari). Brewed in gigantic batches, this corn beer is a staple in the Raràmuri diet and culture, and plays an integral role in many rituals and celebrations, most notably the celebration of Holy Week, the week preceding Easter Sunday.
To them, "getting drunk is a religious act", so the tesgüino is not only a social lubricant, but a sacred substance that is offered up to God himself, and which is quite literally consumed by him (Burnett). It should be noted here that while the importance of tesgüino's affects should be underscored, the terminology used by the Raràmuri concerning these affects differs from the Western terminology, which tends toward words with negative connotations, such as "drunkenness". Therefore, information from the sources cited here (which do not come directly from the Raràmuri) should be taken with a grain of salt and viewed through a critical lens. According to Guadalupe Espino Palma, who is the traditional governor of the Norogachi district in Chihuahua, "God taught the Raràmuri how to make corn beer" (Burnett). So it makes perfect sense that, in an act of reciprocity, they would want to offer their teacher the fruits of their labor and learning.
Carlos Palma Batista, director of the Raràmuri Education Initiative, noted that in modern times, it is far easier for the Raràmuri to travel to the nearest town, buy alcohol, and become intoxicated from that in relative isolation, than it is to brew a batch of tesügino, which is generally shared with the whole community (Burnett). Since this traditional drink brings Raràmuri people together and is a major aspect of their belief-system and culture, the very act of brewing and drinking tesgüino becomes an act of cultural revitalization. It is way for them to proactively preserve their worldviews, pass on traditional teachings, and fight the forces that would have long ago obliterated the sovereignty of any less resilient group.
To them, "getting drunk is a religious act", so the tesgüino is not only a social lubricant, but a sacred substance that is offered up to God himself, and which is quite literally consumed by him (Burnett). It should be noted here that while the importance of tesgüino's affects should be underscored, the terminology used by the Raràmuri concerning these affects differs from the Western terminology, which tends toward words with negative connotations, such as "drunkenness". Therefore, information from the sources cited here (which do not come directly from the Raràmuri) should be taken with a grain of salt and viewed through a critical lens. According to Guadalupe Espino Palma, who is the traditional governor of the Norogachi district in Chihuahua, "God taught the Raràmuri how to make corn beer" (Burnett). So it makes perfect sense that, in an act of reciprocity, they would want to offer their teacher the fruits of their labor and learning.
Carlos Palma Batista, director of the Raràmuri Education Initiative, noted that in modern times, it is far easier for the Raràmuri to travel to the nearest town, buy alcohol, and become intoxicated from that in relative isolation, than it is to brew a batch of tesügino, which is generally shared with the whole community (Burnett). Since this traditional drink brings Raràmuri people together and is a major aspect of their belief-system and culture, the very act of brewing and drinking tesgüino becomes an act of cultural revitalization. It is way for them to proactively preserve their worldviews, pass on traditional teachings, and fight the forces that would have long ago obliterated the sovereignty of any less resilient group.
How Tesgüino is Made
This beverage takes days to prepare, so planning ahead is imperative, especially when tesgüino is needed for a particular ceremony or celebration that occurs on a specific date.
The first step is to obtain a large amount of corn seeds (dried corn kernels) and place them in a sack or piece of cloth. The sack of corn is then buried in damp earth, usually in a place designated for the purpose in a house. Leaving it there allows the corn seeds to sprout; when it is discovered that the seeds have sprouted, it is time to wash the sprouts and then dry them in the sun (Lara).
The first step is to obtain a large amount of corn seeds (dried corn kernels) and place them in a sack or piece of cloth. The sack of corn is then buried in damp earth, usually in a place designated for the purpose in a house. Leaving it there allows the corn seeds to sprout; when it is discovered that the seeds have sprouted, it is time to wash the sprouts and then dry them in the sun (Lara).
The second step is to grind up the sprouts and then add water to the resulting pulpy mash. This mixture is placed in special pots used specifically for the making of tesgüino. Usually, at this point the mixture is allowed to sit for several days, and is stirred occasionally (Lara).
Finally, it is time for cooking; the pulp is strained out and the remaining liquid is placed in large vats suspended over outdoor fires where it is boiled and stirred for a while. At this point as well, sweetening is sometimes added, if desired. It could be in the form of sugar, molasses, or whatever is available at the time (Lara).
When the liquid has been boiled for a time (as much as eight hours), the defining step takes place: grasses containing enzymes that will promote fermentation are placed in the vats, and then the maker of the tesguino can sit back and, for the next five or so days and allow nature to do the rest. This is just one example of how the Raramuri have learned to work alongside nature with the resources locally available to them to to obtain everything that they need for both physical sustenance and cultural practices.
The Wonders of Fermentation:
It is worth noting that as far back as we know in their history, the Raramuri people have been utilizing ambient yeast to ferment alcoholic beverages. The process by which this occurs is shown below. Though this scheme starts with glucose, the process actually begins with the complex carbohydrates originally present in the sprouted corn. These large starch molecules are broken down by the enzymes in the added grasses into smaller, simpler carbohydrates such as glucose.
In this very useful process, one molecule of glucose (C6H12O6), containing six carbon atoms, is converted by yeast (microscopic unicellular fungi) into two molecules of pyruvate, each containing three carbons. The pyruvates are then turned into acetaldehyde and finally into ethanol, which is the substance that intoxicates humans. The yeasts also benefit from the process, and are able to glean energy in the form of ATP and NADH during the fermentation process, so it is clearly a symbiotic relationship, with the only waste product being carbon dioxide (Ethanol). The end product in this case is a beverage with an alcoholic content similar to that of beer.
The entire process of making this delectable corn beer is very much in line with the idea of the Honorable Harvest, as mentioned in Braiding Sweetgrass. Nothing is wasted, and gratitude pours freely from the recipients of nature's gifts. In fact, since tesgüino is almost always shared, so it becomes a vital part of the Raràmuri gift economy. One of their primary philosophies is that if someone is without the necessaries of life those with the needed goods must give what they have. So even in the form of alcohol, maize is a valuable teacher to the Raràmuri.
Burnett, John. "The Sacred Corn Beer of the Tarahumara." NPR. NPR, 25 Mar. 2005. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4532569>.
"Ethanol Fermentation." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Nov. 2016. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fermentation>.
Lara, Lorena. COMO HACER TEJUINO. Perf. Lorena Lara. YouTube. YouTube, 2 May 2011. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaNaUgGmlzM>.
"Tesquino." Tarahumara Curriculum Ethnic Groups and Culture. Adventure Learning Foundation, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016
<http://www.questconnect.org/tara_cc_ethnic.htm>.
Image Sources:
cooking tesguino: http://www.stillcooker.com/images/sprouting%20corn.jpg
grinding corn: http://www.amigos3.com/the-raramuri-indians/
woman stirring tesguino: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/a0/28/d9/a028d9525bacf84da01603a0aacc0845.jpg
sprouted corn: http://www.mixologynews.com.br/wp-content/uploads/blogger/-5SbHHD7nuaE/TYbQ
1eNOYI/AAAAAAAABtw/B4d4oaF_If4/s1600/tesguino.jpg
fermentation scheme: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fermentation
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4532569>.
"Ethanol Fermentation." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Nov. 2016. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fermentation>.
Lara, Lorena. COMO HACER TEJUINO. Perf. Lorena Lara. YouTube. YouTube, 2 May 2011. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaNaUgGmlzM>.
"Tesquino." Tarahumara Curriculum Ethnic Groups and Culture. Adventure Learning Foundation, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016
<http://www.questconnect.org/tara_cc_ethnic.htm>.
Image Sources:
cooking tesguino: http://www.stillcooker.com/images/sprouting%20corn.jpg
grinding corn: http://www.amigos3.com/the-raramuri-indians/
woman stirring tesguino: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/a0/28/d9/a028d9525bacf84da01603a0aacc0845.jpg
sprouted corn: http://www.mixologynews.com.br/wp-content/uploads/blogger/-5SbHHD7nuaE/TYbQ
1eNOYI/AAAAAAAABtw/B4d4oaF_If4/s1600/tesguino.jpg
fermentation scheme: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fermentation