Sabores Sin Fronteras/Flavors without Borders is a series of bilingual, multi-cultural events, sponsored by the Southwest Center at the University of Arizona in Tucson. It’s aim is to educate and celebrate local foods of the Southwest, unimpeded by local political issues and surveyors markers.
Even US border patrol agents can’t resist a good carne asada burrito made of beef from cattle descended from those the original Spanish settlers carried to the New World in ships. (Now, how in the world did they manage cows in ships on a three week ocean voyage?)
Would it matter that the tortillas were also made from a revival of the original variety of wheat also brought by the Spanish? I would not think about it much on an empty stomach. But sure, it’s interesting to know and to taste that history.
I visited a tiny mom and pop tortilla factory to get the material for this painting. I spent several hours listening as they showed me all the steps involved in making a good hand-made tortilla. I used the mom as the model, and added the apron and t-shirt to give a feeling for the irrelevance of nationalities and borders when it comes to food.
This is the second in a series of posters that promote these events and the ideas behind them.
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