On this particular Saturday afternoon, I had just finished my work for the day and was deciding what I should do to entertain myself for the remainder of the day.  Working remotely from home as I do, facing deadlines, a less then patient boss who thinks my working remotely is a daily vacation, dealing with time zones other than Mexico’s.  Sometimes it just wears me out.   I often just like to relax when the day is done.  With that thought in mind came the next obvious question.  What’s for dinner? I could cook, plenty of things to cook in the freezer.  Nope.  Head over to the west side to my favorite local haunts could be an option.   Nope.  I´ll cross that bridge later.   When you live solo, there is always something to do in the house.  Should I do a run to Chedraui?  Nope. That can wait until tomorrow.  Laundry, nope.  What’s left? Honestly, I have a whole list of household chores I could start.  Eureka! turn on the AC and just chill watching a movie.  That’s the ticket!  I really liked that idea, I checked to see if I had any popcorn.  Yes.  Cold drinks in the refrigerator? Yes.  Sounds like a plan.

I was just preparing to settle in for the remainder of the day and the familiar ding of a message on WhatsApp.  A message from Oscar.  A friend, a neighbor, and all-around nice guy.  ¿Quieres ir a almorzar Pozole?  (Do you want to go for lunch on Pozole? An extremely literal translation by the way.)  My reply was a very fast ¡Síííííí¡ Another quick exchange of texts and our lunch outing increased from two to three people.  Oscar, Alma and me. When?  Ahora!  Of course, our departure was not that immediate, this is Mexico. I was ready but for my Mexican Compadres, ritual bathing and selecting the appropriate outfit would need to be resolved first.  When I’m told “ahora” I know I have at least an hour to go before departure.  By 1:30 we were on our way, less than an hour from the initial message, what a surprise.   With Oscar driving, Alma as Copilot, and me in the back seat we were on our way.

I do enjoy not driving sometimes.  Even after living here in Playa for many years, there are still shops and other things to make note of for future reference.  Things you don’t see while driving.  Repair shops (talleres), small taquerías and restaurantes, Cremerías, Queserías, Novedades.  As I made my mental notes from the back seat, s the conversation between Pilot and Copilot shifted to which Pozolería would be the destination. I snapped out of my note taking haze immediately.   Having no idea where the “best” is located, and the decision being left to the local experts, suddenly I was all ears..   Apparently, there are two great Pozolerías in Playa.  So off we went, highway to the Puente, left on Avenue 28 de Julio, right onto Chemuyil.  Obviously the best Local Pozolerías were to be found on the west side. 

Pozole is not new to me, I´ve savored it a few times, homecooked for very special occasions by my Mexican neighbors of course but not by me.  Preparing traditional Mexican dishes is an art I am still in the process of learning.  Some dishes are best left to the experts.  Pozole is one of those ritualistic foods, an art in its preparation. But I am getting there.  I’ve mastered Frijoles Charros, Caldo de Pollo and frijoles so Pozole is next along with cooking with dried chiles.

So, what is Pozole?  It is a traditional Mexican Caldo (soup) that originally comes from Central Mexico. It contains Hominy which is corn kernels boiled until they puff   The word Pozole is Nahuatl in origin and means “frothy” and it can be traced back to the Aztecs.  It´s roots are sacred and is as interesting as the history of the Aztecs.  Frothy is kind of a misnomer.  The frothy reference comes from when you boil corn kernels it creates a froth on the surface of the water.  Another example of how literal indigenous languages as well as Spanish can be.

The ingredients of the first pozoles were human flesh.  Yup, there are accounts of cannibalism going back to the Ancient Aztecs.  Pork became a substitute for human flesh after the arrival of the Spaniards, as it was said the flavor of pork is similar to human flesh.  This little tidbit (no pun intended) of info is quite well documented if you Google the origins of Pozole.  I happen to like pork (but don’t take my word for it). My first name may be Jeffrey, but last name is not Dahmer, even though autofill tries to add it as my last name when online.  Creepy huh?  Anyway, Pozole is labor intensive to prepare (in its true form up to 2 days) and so to this day it is reserved for special events and times of celebration in Mexico. 

There are three varieties of Pozole.   White (blanco) which is a clear broth, rojo (red), and verde (green).  It can be made with pork or chicken, (maybe an arm and leg) lol and I have even seen it made with shrimp as well.  But let’s be serious here.  Caldos are very popular in Mexico.  We associate having soups with cold damp days to warm us up back home.  Here in Mexico a caldo is to warm your soul. It is the Rey (King) of comfort foods and a basic meal all over Mexico.  Even Mexicans will joke about eating hot soup when the temperature is 35 plus degrees Centigrade. But if Mamá or Abuela prepares a caldo, you had better eat it or face the flying chancla (sandle).  The flying chancla is the act of being regañado (scolded) when you are bad.  I am told it should be a sport in Mexico as Mamá or Abuela can throw it with painful accuracy.

Regardless of the color, Pozole is served unadorned.  If your Pozole arrives at the table with anything else added to it other than the carne (meat) and hominy, it is not authentic.  The idea is to add the final touches on your own creating a dish prepared al gusto (how you like).  In the traditional way, a large plate of “fixings” accompanies your pozole.  Fresh chopped onion, cilantro, lechuga (lettuce), rabano (radish), queso fresco (a specific soft cheese), aguacate (avocado), limón (lime), and of course the obligatory salsa de habanero.  Also, on the side you will find, totopos, (tortilla chips), chicharrón (fried pork skin) and crema (cream).  When you consider all the “fixings” it is a complete meal in one bowl.

Welcome to Doña Olga’s Pozolería         

When I have lunch with my local friends, I never know what to expect.  Today was no different.  I figured I would be home by 3 or 4 pm at the latest.  Read on, lol.  Doña Olga’s Pozolería is deceiving from the outside, just a narrow store front tucked in amongst a residential row of houses.  The kitchen is in the front and if you are observant, you will see everything is prepared by hand and fresh for each order.  Maybe by design, the aromas fill the air as you walk by or enter the restaurant.

In true fashion mi querida amiga (dear friend) Alma who seems to know everyone, was met by the restaurant manager Mario, who is also Doña Olgas’ son.  Hugs, handshakes, and introductions were shared all around.  This is traditional amongst friends.  These impromptu greetings no longer feel awkward to me, they are just another part of life in Mexico. Obviously, Alma and Mario know each other very well to share such a warm welcome which of course included the besito on the cheek.  Both Alma and Mario are originally from Mexico City which makes them Chilangos (a term used to denote anyone from CDMX, Mexico City)  With the important formalities of introductions completed, we walked through the kitchen area to the dining area in the back of the restaurant.  Ten tables max, and quite cool with fans and AC considering the temperature outside is about 32 C (90 degrees).  A perfect day for caldo by Mexican standards.

As is customary, each table you pass, you greet everyone with a Buenas Tardes or ¡Provecho!  As more customers enter and exit, the favor is repeated countless times.  It is considered rude not to acknowledge your fellow diners. I am told ignoring a saludo (greeting) shows you are maleducado (bad mannered) in the local world.  Just another one of those cultural tidbits of information and formality you don’t learn from any book or see on the 5^th Avenue.  In Mexico, this is how you act no matter how old or how young you are.  Greetings are an important step and part of the trilogy of table manners.  The second is you cover your mouth if you must speak while eating and the third is asking for permission to leave the table.  In a traditional household, breaking even one of the holy trinity of rules would certainly get you the chancla!

Doña Olga’s in local circles, is one of the best known Pozolerías in Playa del Carmen.  And yes, there really is a Doña Olga, she is the mother of Mario, the Owner of the restaurant and the Matriarch of the family.  The Doña comes to the restaurant each morning alone before the regular employees arrive and returns in the evenings to check on things.  Each morning she personally prepares all the condiments used in the making of her signature Pozoles. Her recipes for the green, red, and white are a closely guarded family secret and by true tradition, shared with no one.  I would soon find out that even her own son is barred from knowing the recipes.   If that doesn’t scream pride, tradition and maintaining a reputation, I have no idea what does. 

I love being the novice of the group when we go anywhere together.  I get the lowdown on the history, the backstory to everything.  My friends know this, and they know I write.  In their desire to see me succeed, everything gets explained and I am always reminded “this would make a great story”.  This is an important point because Oscar is my web designer and Alma edits my books and papers.  My local amigos are the inspiration for what I write about.

With our orders placed, Alma and I chose the Red with cerdo, (pork), Oscar the red with shrimp.  For la entrada (appetizer), orders were placed for a Chile Relleno (stuffed Poblano pepper) and Tacos Dorados also known as Flautas.  I chose the Tacos Dorados natural, Oscar the same but ‘completo’ with shredded lettuce, crema and queso piled like  a small mountain on top.  Next time, I will pay more attention and order the same.  What meal would be complete without the bebidas.  Coca, Micheladas and Cheladas.   Our Pozoles arrived in short order served in traditional clay bowls with all the sides.  For a moment I thought the Mesero had forgotten my taquitos, but they arrived piping hot and freshly made.  Our little table could barely hold all the different plates.  What a glorious food fest.  All the flavors, all the textures fit perfectly as expected because this is traditional Mexican cooking.

We took our time savoring the flavors, chatting and as always yours truly asking my million questions.  Not an easy feat as I have to do it all in Spanish.   No wonder I am always the last to finish a meal.  As we paid our modest bill, it was our turn to wish our fellow diners a buenas tardes and ¡provecho! as we passed each table making our way to the front of the restaurant.  Of course, we all had to thank Mario for the delicious food and great service.  Handshakes and hugs all around.  The three goodbyes were definitely in play.  Our departure lasted another 15 minutes, which is rather fast by Mexican standards.  This is the beauty of Mexico.  No rush, take your time, enjoy the moment and above all mind your manners.

Lunch could have ended there but in true fashion, Oscar was making other plans for our next stop.  ¿Quiere postre?  (Do you want dessert?) Alma and I would have been content with traditional pasteles (popsicles), from Michoacan, but Oscar had other ideas.  From traditional Pozole, we ended up in a very eclectic coffee shop back on the east side of Playa.  Complete opposite ends of the spectrum, but this is Playa where the new meets the old and everything in between.

The cafeteria is called Logia.  The customers are as eclectic as the menu, a very young crowd.  Starbucks Mexican Style?  Not quite, but cafe and cold drinks served in an eclectic and interesting style.  Then menu is a small book, concoctions with names I have never heard of along with ingredients that I had never come across. All with an astrological theme and a hint of the macabre.   As I gave the place the once over, I couldn’t help but notice the word “Redrum” scrawled in red on the door to the kitchen.  Flashbacks to Stephen King and “The Shining”, this was either going to be a very interesting experience or something totally out of my comfort zone.  Since Oscar was the expert, we let him choose three cold drinks that would be topped with various pastries, like pan de maiz (corn bread) and brownies.  Each one was a creation, and to be honest quite good.  We sampled each one and chose our favorites.  Never judge a book by its cover.  Another mental note made to add this spot to my never-ending places to re-visit.  As we chatted and revisited the menu many times to further analyze all the various concoctions both hot and cold, our final selection of the day was a unique bottle of Agua Mineral.  How boring you would say.  But this water was different, it contained CBD.  As we shared one bottle, Oscar and I got a severe case of the giggles.  Alma reacted in a manner we thought hilarious, “my head is disconnected from my body!“  As we pondered the individual effects of CBD, and perused the various items for sale in the back of the store, we returned to the car still giggling and oblivious to the stares of the wait staff and passersby.   Alma wanted to sit in the back seat with her new imaginary friend who would care for her pocketbook.   More giggles progressed to outright laughter. 

As I thought the day would end there, and could not possibly get even better, I was totally wrong.  With it only 6 pm, it was decided that we would all meet in the Palapa in our Privada (condo complex) for a night of “Juegos”.  Game Night, a very popular past time here in Mexico.  We were soon joined by another vecina (neighbor), Miriam, and now we were four.  Miriam is a lovely person and a great neighbor. Working for Grupo Xcaret, she is my source for all information related to Parque Xcaret.  Rummy Tiles was to be the game of choice.  Having never played this version I got a quick lesson in the rules.  Learning a new game in English is hard enough, I had to do it in Spanish.

A quick WhatsApp to our local bodega (store) with an order for chips and refrescos was delivered in short order.  This is one of the advantages of living local.  This is not Rappi or Uber Eats, it is a service provided by a local tienda (store) to other locals.  El Pitayo is our local tiendita (little store) where you can either visit or order drinks, snacks, cigarettes, and other various items.  Your order is delivered by Scooter and you either pay in efectivo (cash) or by bank transfer.  Jorge is the repartidor (delivery guy) and a permanent fixture in our entire complex. Seven days a week you can see him on his scooter at all hours making his deliveries.   For me, Jorge was an enigma, a puzzle I hadn’t quite figured out in the grand scheme of living locally until recently.  But that is another story for another time.   Yet, I am still amazed, and it never ceases to amaze me how he can balance 3 garrafones, 20 liters each of water on his tiny scooter. 

With all the snacks and drinks, we almost had no room for the Rummy Tiles.  Perhaps this is as good as time as any to explain a few details.  I am the only North American living in my Privada.  That means there is no English spoken here.  All my social interactions are in Spanish.  Texting, in Spanish and conversing, in Spanish.  My only contact with the English-speaking world is through working remotely or writing.  I go for days and weeks sometimes without uttering a single word in English.  Quite honestly, I enjoy it.  How else could you possibly learn about life in general in a foreign country without total immersion in the language.  As we played conversation abounded, from upcoming events at Xcaret to local matters and personal stories.  Such a fun way to spend an evening.  At about 11:00 pm we called it a night.  Of course, it was not until 11:30 did we finally part company for each of us a short walk home.

What began as a simple lunch invitation turned into a fun filled day, a lesson in language, customs, and traditions.  This particular Saturday was one of those treasured days.  Another one of many I have had, will always remember, and hopefully repeat often.

Living in Mexico never ceases to amaze me.  On any given day how much one can learn by simply having lunch with friends.  I guess I am one of those Expats who can be characterized as the type who fiercely defends the Mexican way of life.  There are so many things we don’t fully understand as Extranjeros (foreigners) about life in general in a country not our own.   Hopefully as our individual journeys progress, we will begin to understand it more and more.  My decision to move to Mexico was not only for economic reasons nor was it to change things to my way of thinking or complain about the way things are done.  To enjoy Mexico you have to live it and accept it as it is.  I came here to live…..if this is living, then I have already died and gone to heaven.