Many cuisines and cultures appreciate chile peppers (Capsicum spp). The members of the nightshade family Solanaceae are claimed as critical culinary ingredients in:
• Africa;
• Asia;
• Australia;
• Europe.
They nevertheless claim as native homelands the Americas.
The Mesoamerican region of the Americas gets identified as the source of many faunal and floral wonders in the western hemisphere. It includes the modern-day countries of:
• Belize;
• Costa Rica;
• El Salvador;
• Guatemala;
• Honduras;
• Mexico;
• Nicaragua.
Mesoamerican history involves impacts from North America’s Aztec peoples and Central America’s Maya populations. It is the Aztec civilization of central and northern Mexico that shares plot-space with the southwestern United States of America’s ancient Pueblo culture in “How Chile Came to New Mexico.”
*****
Websites:
http://www.nasariogarciaphd.com/
http://nicolasotero.com/
*****
Comments
Mira, Unfortunately, children's books can, indeed, be pricey! Thus far, "How Chile Came to New Mexico" is not included in the local public library system, which carries very few of Rudolfo Anaya's writings. I am fortunate to have been gifted with a copy of this recent (2014) story by one of New Mexico's most famous storytellers. I hope that you are able to locate a less expensive copy, if you are interested in the book, because it is well done.
Unfortunately this book is very expensive at $22.46. Did you find it at a library?