Mexican Ingredients

[Anna N]

My son returned from a trip to Texas/Mexico with a selection of dried chili peppers for me. With the help of google I was able to identify most of them but these two remain unidentified. The bag has the name of the contents written on it in marker which has smudged. As best I can, I read, "quivo para fruta" but googling doesn't help. Anyone? Thank you.

[Kerry Beal]

Now that's a son who knows and loves his mother - to bring you back ingredients!

[Doodad]

Dried hibiscus flowers on the bottom? Fleur de Jamaica in Spanish.

The other might be dried pequin peppers? I had a friend who is from Acapulco bring me fresh ones and they were that size. Same pepper as in piri piri I think.

[Anna N]

Dried hibiscus flowers on the bottom? Fleur de Jamaica in Spanish.

The other might be dried pequin peppers? I had a friend who is from Acapulco bring me fresh ones and they were that size. Same pepper as in piri piri I think.

Thanks for the clue on the hibiscus flowers! The bag, however, contains something almost ground to a powder and he did bring me a bag of pequin peppers so I don't think that is what is in the bag.

[twoshoes]

no - those aren't pequin...hard to tell what it is.

have you tasted it?

[scubadoo97]

I will confirm Doodad's ID of hibiscus flowers. The bag well? It doesn't looks so orange in color but I've seen bags of saffron flowers often in Mexican markets. Has s weak taste of saffron at a fraction of the price of the saffron stigma threads. Hard to tell from your picture

[Doodad]

I just came back from the intl grocery and looked in the mex section. Something called menudo mix looked a lot like the stuff in your bag.

[Darienne]

As I recall, Menudo is made from tripe and other less enticing parts of the cow...

[Anna N]

no - those aren't pequin...hard to tell what it is.

have you tasted it?

It is not hot but rather astringent perhaps even lemony. It looks like coarsely ground pepper of some sort. I will see what I can do to get a better close up. Was hoping the writing on the bag might be the best clue.

Edited to add photograph.

Edited February 20, 2010 by Anna N (log)

[Jaymes]

The stuff that's hot and "even lemony" is undoubtedly hot chiles ground with Mexican lemon/limes and is supposed to be sprinkled over fruit: "para fruta."

You can buy jars of similar chile blends, usually with salt, with or without limón. Sometimes it's also called "pico de gallo" because you can chop up vegetables like jicama, orange slices, onions, etc., and sprinkle that chile blend over and serve with toothpicks as an appetizer. People prod and poke at it with their toothpicks, reminiscent of chickens in the barnyard, and this is supposedly where it (and other relishes/snacks/appetizers made with large chunks of fresh vegetables) gets the name "beak (or peck) of the rooster."

The most famous brand of this is probably "Tajin" (taHEEN). It's even available at mainstream supermarkets in the US.

This stuff is particularly wonderful sprinkled over tropical fruits like mangoes, pineapple and papaya, vegetables such as jicama or corn on the cob, and many people like it on avocados and cucumbers. As far as I'm concerned, once you've had tropical fruits with a sprinkle of Tajin (or another similar brand), it's very difficult to have fruit without it.

Actually, you can put it over anything: popcorn, potatoes, etc., or even a sprinkle to garnish drinks like horchata. Bartenders sometimes use it (either combined with additional salt or sugar, or just as is) to rim glasses for various exotic drinks.

Tajin

So, Anna, chop up a fresh pineapple, sprinkle a little of your mystery mixture over, and get back with us and let us know what you think.

Okay?

_________________________

Edited February 20, 2010 by Jaymes (log)

[andiesenji]

My neighbor tells me it looks like the dried and ground "chufas" that is sold to make a horchata drink and the way she describes it, it is nothing like the rice-based horchata, which is sold here. She says it isn't common in the area where she is from (Durango) but her sister lives in Chiapas and the stuff is sold in bulk in the markets there and the street vendors and many restaurants sell the finished product as orxata de xufes.

However, I like Jaymes idea better. I'm always on the prowl for stuff to put on fruit.

The various types of pico de gallo available in the Mexican markets here are much finer ground and very hot, have lots of ground chile in them.

Edited February 20, 2010 by andiesenji (log)

[Anna N]

The stuff that's hot and "even lemony" is undoubtedly hot chiles ground with lemon and is supposed to be sprinkled over fruit: "para fruta."

. . . .

So I am guessing you are right! Here is the package with the smudged writing:

Thanks everyone!

[Jaymes]

The stuff that's hot and "even lemony" is undoubtedly hot chiles ground with lemon and is supposed to be sprinkled over fruit: "para fruta."

. . . .

So I am guessing you are right! Here is the package with the smudged writing:

Thanks everyone!

Well, there you go: "Polvo para fruta": Powder for fruit.

______________________

Edited February 20, 2010 by Jaymes (log)

[Anna N]

The stuff that's hot and "even lemony" is undoubtedly hot chiles ground with lemon and is supposed to be sprinkled over fruit: "para fruta."

. . . .

So I am guessing you are right! Here is the package with the smudged writing:

Thanks everyone!

Well, there you go: "Polvo para fruta": Powder for fruit.

______________________

I was misreading! I thought it was quivo pava fruta.

[Anna N]

. . .

So, Anna, chop up a fresh pineapple, sprinkle a little of your mystery mixture over, and get back with us and let us know what you think.

Okay?

_________________________

So I didn't get pineapple but did get a couple of mangoes and you are right, the stuff is addictive! Thank you. I love discovering new ingredients and tastes.

[Jaymes]

. . .

So, Anna, chop up a fresh pineapple, sprinkle a little of your mystery mixture over, and get back with us and let us know what you think.

Okay?

_________________________

So I didn't get pineapple but did get a couple of mangoes and you are right, the stuff is addictive! Thank you. I love discovering new ingredients and tastes.

When I've stayed with families in Mexico, a little jar of this chile/limon/salt mix is always on the table, just like salt and pepper here. People seem to think most things are improved with a sprinkle of chile, a squeeze of lime, a dash of salt.

So don't just limit it to fruit. Try it in unexpected ways.

I can tell you that it's a key ingredient in Micheladas.

And it's the "secret ingredient" in a great many Bloody Marys.