Aldegunda Cisneros’
Wild Anoda Soup
Tezoatlán, Oaxaca
An expert cook and entrepreneur from Oaxaca’s Mixteca region, Doña Alde –as family and friends call her–, contributed three recipes to Diana Kennedy’s Oaxaca al Gusto (2010). When we met, Doña Alde was 86. As she prepares alaches—wild greens gathered during the rainy season—she reflects on the farming practices making them harder to find and the everyday tasks through which she learned to cook.
Listen to Aldegunda’s Story
As Doña Alde prepares alaches, wild greens that spring up among the cornfields during the rains, she shares much more than a recipe. She remembers learning to cook alongside her mother, explains why these edible plants are becoming harder to find, and shows us the pots she keeps ready for family celebrations.
“Alaches are little wild greens that you can eat. We make a soup out of them. They grow among the cornfields when it rains on the plains. Now they’re not as easy to find. Farmers use chemicals, and the chemicals don’t let them grow.”
“First you wash them, then remove the leaves and chop them a little. Put on a pot of water with chopped onion and garlic, and a little salt. You can also add chopped green chilli to make it a little spicy.”
“Both my mother and grandmother had their pots hanging from the walls in their kitchens. I have a pot for mole, for soups, for chiles en nogada…These pots will stay here even after I’m dead. That way, if someone wants to cook, they’re always available.”
“Throughout the years I've bought many books on traditional medicine. I didn’t have much time before: so many children and so much work. But now, I can read them. ”
“My mother taught me how to make this soup. I must have been ten years old. That’ the way it was, we started with boiling milk, making salsa, making a little soup. That’s what I did with my daughters. Now, it’s different though…”
Listen to Aldegunda’s Story
As Doña Alde prepares alaches, wild greens that spring up among the cornfields during the rains, she shares much more than a recipe. She remembers learning to cook alongside her mother, explains why these edible plants are becoming harder to find, and shows us the pots she keeps ready for family celebrations.
Wild Anoda Soup
By Aldegunda Cisneros
INGREDIENTS
1 large bunch of alaches, leaves cleaned and stems removed
1 bunch of pepicha, make sure you use the leaves and tender stems
1/2 cup minced white onion
3-5 garlic cloves minced
3 litres of water
Salt to taste
1 minced serrano chilli
Wedge of lime to serve
Optional: green beans, diced zucchini or young fava beans
PREPARATION
Step 1
Strip the leaves and tender shoots from the alaches and pepicha, discarding any tough stems. Wash the leaves thoroughly.
Step 2
In a large pot, ideally an earthenware pot, heat 3 litres of water and add the onion and garlic cloves.
Step 3
Once the water is boiling, add the alache leaves and pepicha. Stir constantly to mix the greens into the broth and release their flavour.
Step 4
Add the diced zucchini, along with the green beans or fava beans if using.
Step 5
Add salt to taste and cook over medium heat for about 10–15 minutes, until the vegetables and wild greens are fully cooked.
Step 6
Serve hot with a squeeze of lime, sprinkle some serrano and eat with freshly made corn tortillas.