Which corn do you think was

produced in the most sustainable

manner?
Ms. Dvila and Mr. Allmond

What does sustainability mean to you?

Some things to keep in mind:

a.
b.
c.
d.

Where does the produce come from?

How did it get to the grocery store?
What are the differences between organic and inorganic food?
Which one do you think is more sustainable?

Sustainability:

Sustainable produce can be grown and processed locally and have a long shelf
life.
6th period
Sustainable produce has a moderate amount of chemicals, its easy to create and
maintain, and has short modes of transportation. 1st period
Sustainable produce is able to maintain itself and human life, it provides energy,
its affordable and dependable, and its ready when you need it. 2nd period

The domestication of maize (corn)

Domesticated by Native Americans 9,000

years ago

Now provides about 21% of human

nutrition globally

Scientists in the 20th century linked corn to

a Mexican grass called teosnte

But, the differences between the two plants

seemed too great to domesticate within a
few thousand years

Agriculturalists were able to transform a

grass into a high-yielding food crop

It is estimated that it must have taken at

least a several hundred to a few thousand
years to domesticate

Corn plays an extremely important role in Mexico

Maize is a deep cultural symbol in Mexico

Corn varies in sizes, shapes, and colors

There are over 8,000 types of corn!

Corn shapes daily lives

Corn sustains indigenous people spiritually

and economically

Corn is important because it is a form of

food security

More than a third of the corn raised by

farmers in Mexico was consumed at home
The rest was sold in networks of rural food
stores in remote and poor areas

Centeotl, the Aztec deity of maize

Central Balsa River Valley in Southern Mexico

Before the Spanish arrived

Tamales derive from the Nahuatl word

tamall

Tamall means wrapped food

Aztecs prepared tamall for feasts as early

as 1200-250 BC
The fillings include: meats, cheese, beans,
seafood, and nuts
Some tamales were filled with corn masa.
Others were filled with rice or bean masa
Tamales can be steamed, grilled, fried,
boiled, or roasted

After the Spanish came

Native cooks learned to beat pork fat into

the corn masa

This lightened the dish

The indigenous dish began acquiring a

Hispanic identity
Throughout the 18th century, tamales were
transformed according to its geographic
location

In the Mississippi Delta, African-Americans

began making spicy tamales out of cornmeal

Tamales
Ingredients
4 tablespoons of Salt
1 pound of Lard
4.4 pounds of Masa
(corn flour)
Water
Chicken Stock
(Optional)
pound of Dried Red
Chile
4 cloves of Garlic
60 dried corn husks

Tamales derive from the Nahuatl word tamall,

which means wrapped food. Aztecs prepared
tamall for feasts as early as 1200-250 BC.

Directions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

Soak the husks under hot or warm water for six hours.
In a crack pot, boil 2 lbs. of chicken with cup of chopped onion, 2
cloves of garlic, and 1 tablespoon of salt.
Simmer covered for 45 mins. until the chicken is very tender. Place the
chicken in a separate bowl and let it cool.
Take out the seeds from the dried red chile, then bring to a boil and
immediately turn off the element.
Place the boiled dried red chile, two cloves of garlic, and 1 tablespoon
of salt in a food processor and mix until the there are no solid pieces of
the dried red chile. This red salsa will be used for the masa.
In a large bowl mix the masa and 2 tablespoons of salt, then
incorporate 1 pound of lard into the dry ingredients.
After the masa is mixed with lard, add chicken stock until the mixture is
moist.
Incorporate 3 cups of the red salsa into the mixture.
Shred the chicken using two forks, discard the fat.
Place 3 tablespoons of oil into a skillet and keep it at medium heat. Add
cup of chopped onions, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 cup of red salsa,
and the shredded chicken. Cook for 10 minutes.
Rinse the corn husks to remove any corn silk and drain the husks.
Smear 2 tablespoons of masa into a thin layer on the husks.
Place 1 tablespoon of the chicken filling in the middle of the masa.
Fold the sides of the husk and then fold up the bottom.
Add water to a Dutch oven and place the basket above the water.
Place the tamales on top of the basket, have them face up. Cover the
tamales with husks, water, or a plastic bag.
Bring the water to a boil, cover the Dutch oven, and steam for 1 hour.

Lard
(Train) 763 kcal

.677 kcal

Omaha,
NE

4184 g-km

1349 km

1810 g

395.08
kcal

Results

Masa (truck)
- 110 kcal

2.89 kcal

342 km

2000 g

Irving, TX

4184 gkm

Corn Husks boat, train - 0

kcal

.423
kcal

1281 km

Mexico,
Houston TX

4184
g-km

454 g

472.46 kcal

58.80 kcal
(boat)

Total energy used to transport

meal: 945.59 kcal
Total potential energy from eating
meal: 873 kcal
No ingredients listed are grown
locally.

.677 kcal

262 km

454 g

4184 g-km

19.25 kcal
(train)

= 78.05
kcal (total)

Reflection
This recipe was chosen because it is pre-hispanic
dish from Central America that has changed over time
due to many factors such as colonization and geographic
location. This recipe reuses some materials such as corn
husks, and thus it contributes to sustainability.
Some of the tools used to make tamales have been
used for over a millennia and are still widely used today.
Take the molcajete, this is a tool that is used anywhere
from rural mountains in Mexico to bourgeoisie restaurants
in New York.
None of the ingredients used for this recipe were
organic. However, some of the ingredients such as corn
husks and corn masa came from local areas such as
Houston, Texas and Irving, Texas.

Tamales
Why I chose the recipe:

Is it organic? Is it local?

Tamales require reusing corn husks or banana

leaves. The materials are reused and recycled.

None of the ingredients were organic. However,

several of the ingredients came from Texas.

Tamales have been a huge part of Mexicos

culture, including the pre-hispanic era.
Tamales have evolved and continue to evolve.
Some tamales are sweet!
My moms tamales are pretty popular back home
and I want to master her recipe.
Its a celebratory dish!

Corn husks from Houston, Texas

Corn masa from Irving, Texas
Dried red chile from New Mexico

North American Free Trade Agreement

(NAFTA)

NAFTA was put into effect in January

1994

Made companies competitive globally

Canada expanded at the fastest average

rate, and Mexico at the slowest

NAFTA threatened to change Mexicos

way of life
Imported and heavily subsidized corn from
the US was allowed in local food markets

The vast majority of corn is genetically

modified

It lowered prices and hurt local farmers and

their families

Mexico lost 1.3 million farm jobs

Is it worth it?
Is the economic more important than the culture
or the people who make a living from farming?
What does this have to do with sustainability?
What if Mexico was the main exporter of
indigenous, organic, GMO free corn?

Sustainability is not an endpoint, but a

continuing process.

Now its your turn

With your groups, decide on a regional recipe.
Recipe Requirements:

Must have 6-9 ingredients (excluding

spices)

Where are they grown? Are they organic or

not?

Minimally produced
Include a historical or geographic fact

Origins of the dish

Changes made to the dish overtime
Are certain ingredients abundant?
Tools used to cook it

Tamales
Directions

Ingredients
Some Salt
Lard
Masa (corn flour)
Water
Chicken Stock (Optional)
Dried Red Chile
Garlic
Some corn husks

Tamales have been eaten in Mexico for

centuries. It is a dish enjoyed in many parts of
the US, including Texas.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Make red chile salsa.

Mix the masa, lard, salt, chicken stock, and dried red chile
to make the tamale masa.
Smear the tamale masa onto the corn husks.
Add the filling of your choice.

None of the ingredients are organic but most of the

ingredients are local. Some ingredients can be purchased
locally and organically. This dish is very yummy and I have
eaten tamales in Tex-Mex restaurants.

Tamales
Ingredients
4 tablespoons of Salt
1 pound of Lard
4.4 pounds of Masa
(corn flour)
Water
Chicken Stock
(Optional)
pound of Dried Red
Chile
4 cloves of Garlic
60 dried corn husks

Tamales derive from the Nahuatl word tamall,

which means wrapped food. Aztecs prepared
tamall for feasts as early as 1200-250 BC.

Directions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

Soak the husks under hot or warm water for six hours.
In a crack pot, boil 2 lbs. of chicken with cup of chopped onion, 2
cloves of garlic, and 1 tablespoon of salt.
Simmer covered for 45 mins. until the chicken is very tender. Place the
chicken in a separate bowl and let it cool.
Take out the seeds from the dried red chile, then bring to a boil and
immediately turn off the element.
Place the boiled dried red chile, two cloves of garlic, and 1 tablespoon
of salt in a food processor and mix until the there are no solid pieces of
the dried red chile. This red salsa will be used for the masa.
In a large bowl mix the masa and 2 tablespoons of salt, then
incorporate 1 pound of lard into the dry ingredients.
After the masa is mixed with lard, add chicken stock until the mixture is
moist.
Incorporate 3 cups of the red salsa into the mixture.
Shred the chicken using two forks, discard the fat.
Place 3 tablespoons of oil into a skillet and keep it at medium heat. Add
cup of chopped onions, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 cup of red salsa,
and the shredded chicken. Cook for 10 minutes.
Rinse the corn husks to remove any corn silk and drain the husks.
Smear 2 tablespoons of masa into a thin layer on the husks.
Place 1 tablespoon of the chicken filling in the middle of the masa.
Fold the sides of the husk and then fold up the bottom.
Add water to a Dutch oven and place the basket above the water.
Place the tamales on top of the basket, have them face up. Cover the
tamales with husks, water, or a plastic bag.
Bring the water to a boil, cover the Dutch oven, and steam for 1 hour.

Calculations
Lard (Train) 763 kcal

.677 kcal

Omaha, NE

4184 g-km

Masa (truck) 110 kcal

2.89 kcal

Irving, TX

4184 g-km

1349 km

1810 g

395.08 Kcal

The energy used to transport

lard and masa is 867.54
kilocalories.

342 km

2000 g

472.46 Kcal

The potential energy from

eating lard and masa is 873
kilocalories.