Early symptoms of Guillain-Barré Syndrome are tingling in the arms, feet and face. The disease can advance to include muscle weakness and coordination problems. (Shutterstock)
Tlaxcala state officials on Monday reported a third death attributed to acute flaccid paralysis linked to Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare disease whose cause is not fully understood.
The state Health Ministry also reported that 35 additional patients diagnosed with GBS are currently hospitalized, eight of whom are in critical condition and remain in intensive care. Nine of the 35 patients are deemed cured but remain in hospital under observation as of Monday morning.
The ministry has confirmed 76 GBS cases in the small state northeast of Mexico City, with 38 patients having been treated and released.
The ministry made a public plea to state residents to take preventive measures, urging regular washing of hands with soap and water, while also taking all hygienic precautions handling and preparing foods, especially meats.
A World Health Organization (WHO) fact sheet on GBS explains that the disease typically appears after an infection due to a virus or bacteria. This prompts the immune system to attack the body itself and this “can affect the nerves that control muscle movement as well as those that transmit pain, temperature and touch sensations. This can result in muscle weakness, loss of sensation in the legs and/or arms, and problems swallowing or breathing.”
Most victims of GBS recover without long-term neurological complications.
Of 76 patients identified so far, 35 remain hospitalized. (IMSS)
Symptoms, which include tingling sensations often beginning in the legs but advancing to the arms and face, typically last a few weeks.
The symptoms can advance to include weakness in legs, arms and torso, soreness similar to muscle cramps, loss of motor coordination which can lead to falls, and blurred vision. Severe symptoms include paralysis, low blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmia.
The WHO recommends hospitalization of victims exhibiting such symptoms so they can be monitored closely. Cases become life-threatening when affected individuals have difficulty speaking and swallowing.
On March 22, Social Security Institute (IMSS) hospitals across Tlaxcala received an extra supply of antibody mixtures for use in immunoglobulin therapy. Human immunoglobulins are blood derivative substances with a high immunomodulation power and they are used to treat severe antibody deficiencies.
Though there is no known cure for GBS, immunotherapy treatments can modulate symptoms and shorten its duration.
Traditional Mexican music fused with modern genres like hip-hop, trap and electronica, have begun to dominate the global music scene. (Edgar Negrete Lira/Cuartoscuro)
The broad collection of styles that make up the nebulous “Mexico Regional” genre of music have rocketed from traditional mainstays of Mexican grandparents to chart-topping super hits. With a massive 400% growth in the last five years, Mexican music is enjoying its time in the limelight, and artists across the world — especially in the United States — are rushing to cash in on what has suddenly become the most popular sound of the moment.
The road to success, however, has not necessarily been a direct one. In 2016, Luis Fonsi, a man who enjoyed a successful career in the Latin music space, released the first single from his upcoming album, Vida. The lead single, “Despacito,” did well — becoming a crossover hit reminiscent of “Livin’ La Vida Loca” by fellow Puerto Rican Ricky Martin 15 years before. The 1999 hit peaked at #44 on the Billboard 100, (although it ruled the Spanish-focused Latin Hot chart).
While “Despacito” was a hit, it wasn’t until the track was picked up and remixed by Justin Bieber that it really ascended to the level of ubiquity that it enjoys today. The tune was a behemoth, spending 16 weeks at #1. It was even banned in Malaysia after irritated radio listeners called the government in protest over hearing it so many times.
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee had a hit with 2017’s “Despacito,” but it took the involvement of Justin Bieber to catapult the song into international success. (YouTube)
It was the first Spanish-language song to top the Billboard charts since the viral success of the Macarena in 1996 — but it needed the assistance of an established English-speaking artist in order to do that.
That all changed last year though, with the breakout of Mexican Regional music, an umbrella term that describes everything from Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola” to Gera MX and Christian Nodal’s country-esque “Botella tras Botella” (and straighter bands like Grupo Frontera in between). The wave of Mexican Regional music hitting the U.S. charts has been the defining trend in the U.S. throughout 2023 and into 2024, and audiences — both Spanish- and English-speaking — are loving it.
While the early rise of Spanish-language music was driven by Puerto Rico, and a handful of major Latina acts from outside the U.S. such as Shakira and Juanes in Colombia and Spain’s Father-and-son superstars Julio and Enrique Iglesias, recent developments have a decidedly more Mexican tinge.
No longer is the genre staidly tied to tradition — while the title is all-encompassing, bands and artists under the label of Mexican Regional experiment with elements of hip-hop, trap, rap and electronica, while incorporating the more typical elements of Mexican folk music.
Gabito Ballesteros is amongst a host of new Mexican talent set to release new music in 2024. (Gabito Ballesteros/Facebook)
Billboard Magazine found that 35 Mexican Regional tracks made the U.S. Hot 100 in 2023. The most successful, “Ella Baila Sola,” made it into the top five. The song held the top spot on the Global 200 chart for six weeks, and Peso Pluma became the face of the genre. The Jalisco-born singer became the most streamed artist on YouTube that same year.
Once again, the English-speakers have returned, hoping to find their “Despacito” amongst the newcomers to the scene. Major labels have jumped in to sign Mexican regional artists. Fuerza Regida and Yahritza y Su Esencia (who controversially played during last year’s independence celebrations) have secured major label deals. Record companies as large as Interscope and Sony are hunting for their Mexican groups, as the quest for new chart topping Mexican artists intensifies.
Streaming platform Spotify’s Uriel Waizel told Billboard that he believes Mexican Regional has found success because of its willingness to adapt to listeners’ tastes. “The biggest lesson regional Mexican music has taught is that the ‘traditional’ format had to make concessions to impact the U.S. and global charts,” he explained.
This is not unlike the meteoric rise of Afrobeats, Waizel feels, the last non-U.S. genre to dominate the charts. “[This] is what we saw happen with Rema and Selena Gomez [with “Calm Down”]. It’s a great example of music that becomes more digestible for global audiences.”
Washington’s Yahritza y Su Esencia are second-generation Mexican Americans and have caused a stir with their rejection of some elements of traditional Mexican culture. (Yahritza y Su Esencia/X)
This transformation is most obvious in the way that the genres have absorbed more urban U.S. genres — little surprise for two genres that often cover similar lyrical themes. It goes beyond the obvious however, with recent more pop-oriented offerings like Karol G and Peso Plumas “Qlona” and Fuerza Regida and Marshmello’s “Harley Quinn,” which more closely mimic regular U.S. chart offerings, while remaining true to their Mexican roots.
This success has produced a mixed reaction in Mexico. Some states have banned popular artists accused of glorifying violence, particularly bands affiliated with the wildly popular narcocorrido scene, which idolizes Mexico’s brutal cartel violence in much the same way U.S. rap idolized gang culture in the 1990s.
Some of these artists have been accused of betraying their Mexican roots, as happened with Yahritza y su Esencia, despite being invited to play to Independence Day crowds in Mexico City’s Zocalo. Yahritza herself, the daughter of immigrants from Michoacán had said “I just don’t like Mexico,” during an interview in the United States, and the country was not impressed (she later clarified that she meant Mexico City). Even worse, the band suggested that Mexican food in their home state of Washington was superior to the food available in Mexico.
With roughly 25% of Gen Z Americans now of Latin descent, this changing of the guard, from immigrants to the children of immigrants is likely to result in increased popularity for the music of their parents’ homeland. However, whether or not that music pleases Mexicans on both sides of the border is up for debate.
What cannot be argued though, is the huge success that these songs are having. Now even established Latin stars from outside of Mexico, including Bad Bunny, Shakira and Becky G, artists who once eclipsed the Mexican music scene, are rushing to record their own Mexican Regional tracks. This coming year is set to be a big year for Mexican artists with hotly anticipated new music from 17-year-old Chino Pacas, Gabito Ballesteros, Kenia Os, Xavi and Yng Lvkas all set to release albums.
No matter the reason for the sudden increase in the popularity of Mexican influenced music in the U.S. or the controversy surrounding it, it seems unlikely that 2024 will be anything other than another year of absolute dominance for the genre.
When is a "jugo" not a jugo? Fear not, Monica Belot is here to explain. (Zlatko Duric/Unsplash)
I was desperate. After weeks of practically living in Mexico City cafes and restaurants, devouring countless guava rolls, cheese-filled tortillas, and meaty tacos, washing it all down with flat whites and sugary cocktails, my taste buds were delighted, but my brain felt sluggish and dull. My stomach groaned, bloated and heavy. Enough was enough. I needed a reset. I needed… green juice.
I fumbled for my phone, plugging “jugo verde” into Google Maps. Relieved to see a nearby option with the reassuring word “Natural” in the restaurant name, I texted a friend to join me and hurried over, vowing to consume nothing but cold-pressed juices and nourishing smoothies for the next several days.
Mexico City has no shortage of refreshing juice-based drinks, but they may not be exactly what you’re expecting. (María José Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
“Jugo verde, por favor,” I rasped to the waiter, shoving the menu filled with temptations out of sight. I was determined to fully detox my overloaded system and exercise restraint for the foreseeable future.
As the waiter approached with my beautifully green and foamy beverage, I licked my lips in anticipation. I brought the drink to my mouth, envisioning glowing skin and the bloat receding from my belly with every sip. I closed my eyes and gulped… and nearly spit it out.
Confused, I looked at my Venezuelan friend who had lived in Mexico for 5 years. I sloshed the chunky liquid in its glass. “What is this?” I asked. “A juice,” he answered, perplexed.
But…how?
Knowing the difference between jugos, licuados and smoothies is an essential piece of insider knowledge. (Sevenbuddhasmx/Instagram)
This green liquid was room temperature, very sweet, watered down, and filled with sloshy particles. This was not what I had expected. Yet this is the traditional juice (jugo) in Mexico, which – except for some pressed citrus juices – typically consists of fruits and vegetables blended with water.
Taking a second look at the menu multiplied the confusion. There were licuados, batidos, smoothies, malteadas, aguas frescas, jugo exprimido, jugo prensado, extractos, and more, leaving me breathless just thinking about it.
Fear not, friends, here is an easy-to-reference glossary for understanding what’s what:
Jugos: Fruits or vegetables blended with water and lightly strained.
Licuados: Fruit-based drinks blended with yogurt, water, or milk, served cold or at room temperature.
Smoothies: Similar to licuados, but may include a wider range of health-focused ingredients like vegetables, nuts, seeds, or powders. Served cold or frozen.
Batidos: Milkshakes made with milk and flavored syrups or fruits.
Malteadas: Milkshakes with malted milk added for a unique flavor.
Aguas frescas: Fruit-blended waters, often sweetened with added sugar.
Jugo exprimido: Freshly squeezed juice from fruits or vegetables.
Jugo prensado: Cold-pressed juice extracted using a hydraulic press for maximum nutrient retention.
Extractos: Concentrated extracts or shots for efficient consumption of specific nutrients or flavors.
Caution: Asking for juice may not net you actual juice. The results, like these “aguas frescas” may be just as delicious though. (Margarito Pérez Retana/Cuartoscuro)
Finding the juicy gems
For those of us accustomed to cities where cold-pressed juice, salad bars, and superfood smoothies abound, finding healthy food options like the ones we’re used to can be slightly more challenging in Mexico. Particularly for individuals like yours truly, who had spent the last few years living in Los Angeles – the bougie, health-obsessed land of Pressed, Kreation and Erewhon – juices and smoothies had become a dietary staple, quickly nourishing, cleansing, and resetting the body.
Yet despite the abundance of beautiful juice stands and blended drinks in Mexico City (and I encourage you to make use of these delightful little outposts), sometimes it’s rather nice to chug a crisp, veggie-infused cold-pressed liquid or sip on a post-workout smoothie with the perfect superfood additions tailored to your body’s needs. While the health-conscious consumer movement seems to be steadily making its way to Mexico, navigating the options to find healthy and tasty drinks designed to invigorate the body and mind can still be challenging. Placebo effect or not, sometimes you just need that green juice fix.
Fortunately, there are options. Delicious ones, for when you need everything from a detox from going too hard, to a post-workout smoothie. Here are 4 spots around CDMX to satisfy your juice and smoothie fix.
As Happy as Larry – Condesa, Juarez, Roma Norte, Santa Fe
All hail As Happy As Larry, the new king of the capital’s juicing scene. (As Happy As Larry)
Covering the bases in four different areas of the city, “As Happy as Larry” is inspired by the English version of Mexico’s expression “feliz como una lombriz” or “happy as a worm”. While this writer is unfamiliar with the range of a worm’s emotional depth, the juices and smoothies certainly hit the spot. Checking off the juice bar necessities, the spot offers signature recipes for smoothies, juices, and cold-pressed shots, focusing on ingredients meant to strengthen the immune system through superfood combinations. It offers the standard cold-pressed juice selection including an array of green juices, beet and carrot combos, and several juices organized by their functional benefits (Detox C, Immunity). As Happy as Larry also offers “cleanse packs”, ranging from 1-day resets to 18-day programs.
As its name suggests, this minimalist spot serves up healthy basics in a comfortable, modern space. It has all of the essential pressed juice rockstars, including celery-based green juice (Verde Que Te Quiero), a carrot-based cutie cleverly named Sweet Carrotline, and a beet-forward juice mix (Let it Beet). The menu also features single-ingredient pressed juices, nutrient-rich shots, and smoothies with innovative add-ins like svetol (green coffee bean extract), hyaluronic acid, novel vitamin combos, and protein powder. As a bonus, the Roma location doubles as a great workspace for sipping your healthy beverages while nose-deep in emails.
Mora Mora – Colima, Santa Fe, Polanco, Condesa, Roma, Jardines del Pedregal, Interlomas, Insurgentes
From the TV screen to the Mexico City health scene, Mora Mora is the capital’s latest healthy spot. (Jugos Locos/Unsplash)
Featured on Mexico’s version of Shark Tank in 2022, Mora Mora is a plant-based, healthy, and sustainable chain taking Mexico City by storm. With locations spanning juice bars and grocery markets for healthy goods, Mora Mora makes it easy to get your fix of high-quality smoothies, juices, and wellness shots. Menu highlights include the nutrient-packed Green Warrior juice, brimming with celery, cucumber, citrus, leafy greens, herbs, wheatgrass, ginger, and a kick of cayenne. The El Azul smoothie is another standout, blending blackberry almond milk, banana, pear, maca, hemp, vegan protein, and brilliant blue spirulina. Mora Mora also bottles its cold-pressed juices for grabbing on the go. For those looking for a full-body reboot, Mora Mora offers 1-day detox kits meant to purify and help eliminate toxins. With so many creative and clean plant-based options, Mora Mora is leading the charge for healthy eating in Mexico City.
Ojo de Agua – Practically in every neighborhood in CDMX
This trusted Mexican chain, located across many cities, offers a reliable array of smoothies and licuados, and basic, single-ingredient juices (jugos extractos). Bear in mind, while the “super jugos”, “jugos funcionales”, and “jugos sencillos” on the menu sound intriguing, these are the traditional fruit and veggie blends with water. Where Ojo de Agua truly excels is with its smoothie selection, featuring several fancy superfood options. The chain has recently stepped up its game by incorporating novel ingredients like functional mushrooms (lion’s mane, reishi) and spirulina at several locations. For a trusted healthy option with a superfood smoothie twist, Ojo de Agua delivers.
Honorable mentions include Espiritu Sano (Condesa), Serena Wellness Lab (Lomas), Amamba (Roma Norte), Brek & Shake (Polanco, Santa Fe), and Seven Buddhas (Condesa).
Mapping the scene
As Mexico City’s healthy food scene continues to flourish, this guide aims to highlight some of the top spots for finding revitalizing, nutrient-packed juices and smoothies. However, new destinations are constantly emerging across the capital. For Mexico News Daily readers, here’s a Google Maps list with the curated juice and smoothie spots gathered so far, which will be updated as more gems are discovered.
Of course, this is just a sampling of CDMX’s ever-evolving juice and smoothie scene. Did we miss your go-to oasis for a cold-pressed green juice or superfood-loaded smoothie? Let us know your favorite must-visit juice bars and smoothie joints in the comments below!
Monica Belot is a writer, researcher, strategist and adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design in New York City, where she teaches in the Strategic Design & Management Program. Splitting her time between NYC and Mexico City, where she resides with her naughty silver labrador puppy Atlas, Monica writes about topics spanning everything from the human experience to travel and design research. Follow her varied scribbles on Medium at https://medium.com/@monicabelot.
The investment will go toward increasing production and distribution capacity, digitization and more, Arca said. (Arca Continental)
Arca Continental, one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the world, announced it will invest 17 billion pesos (just over US $1 billion) in a variety of operations across its Latin American and U.S. facilities this year.
In a press release, Arca revealed the funds will target increased production and distribution capacity, as well as promoting the use of digital tools, strengthening new categories of beverages, and expanding shared value projects in the communities it serves in Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and the United States.
Mexico will receive more than half of the investment with the remaining 45% going to South America and the United States. Arca has plants in 14 Mexican states while other bottlers, including beverage/retail giant FEMSA, handle bottling operations in the rest of Mexico’s states.
The announcement was made during last week’s annual shareholders meeting in Monterrey in which company CEO Arturo Gutiérrez and Chairman of the Board of Directors Jorge Santos Reyna lauded Arca’s record results last year.
Arca set a new all-time high in consolidated volume — nearly 2.5 billion unit cases (a unit case is a unit of measurement that equals 5,678 liters) — and reported annual sales in excess of 213.6 billion pesos (nearly US $12.8 billion). The sales total represented a 2.8% increase over 2022 whereas net income grew by 12.9% over 2022, climbing to 17.5 billion pesos (US $1.05 billion).
Gutiérrez reaffirmed the company’s commitment to consolidating a long-term strategy that promotes the integral growth of the entire value chain. The planned investment demonstrates that this commitment is real and the 2023 results prove the strategy is effective, he said.
Arca Continental handles Coca Cola bottling operations in 14 of Mexico’s 32 states. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro.com)
“[Last year’s] positive results in all markets where we operate reaffirm our path of profitable and sustainable growth, driven by the continuous improvement of operational and commercial capabilities,” he said.
Among the improvements is the AC Digital app by which Arca has digitized nearly 60% of its distribution and supply chain as of December. Shopkeepers are able to place and track orders more efficiently, and take advantage of exclusive promotions, the news publication Vanguardia reported.
For his part, Santos Reyna highlighted Arca’s vision of generating long-term shared value and the company’s commitment to being an agent of positive change.
In addition to the production, distribution and marketing of Coca-Cola products in Mexico, Arca does the same for snacks under the Bokados brand.
The National Guard is continuing efforts to locate the eight people still missing following the kidnappings on Friday. (Cuartoscuro)
A total of 66 people were kidnapped in Culiacán, Sinaloa, on Friday and 58 of that number have returned to their homes, state authorities said Sunday.
Men, women and children were reportedly abducted on Friday by armed men who forced their way into their victims’ homes in various parts of Culiacán, a municipality that includes the state capital of the same name as well as rural and coastal areas.
Public Security Minister Gerardo Mérida Sánchez said Sunday that a total of 58 people had returned to their homes, leaving just eight abductees — all adults — unaccounted for. He said that state authorities were working with their municipal and federal counterparts to locate the eight missing people.
The security minister didn’t say whether authorities had located and rescued the 58 people or whether they had returned to their homes on their own account after being released by their captors.
However, the El Financiero newspaper reported that the abductees were freed by their captors in various parts of Culiacán, and that “some were assisted to return to their homes, while others preferred to return on their own.”
Public Security Minister Gerardo Mérida said he was hopeful that “someone” would file an official complaint in order to assist authorities investigating the kidnappings. (SSP Sinaloa/X)
Mérida said that none of the 58 people who have returned to their homes wanted to file an official complaint with authorities. He expressed confidence that “someone” would do so in due course and thus assist authorities to establish what happened on Friday.
There are limited details about the abductions, and it is unclear who perpetrated them and for what reason. Mérida on Friday attributed the abductions to “criminal groups,” but didn’t identify any by name.
Sinaloa is the home state and foremost stronghold of the Sinaloa Cartel, the powerful criminal organization formerly led by imprisoned drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Culiacán is a stronghold for the “Los Chapitos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. The U.S. DEA considers this group to be a primary target for fentanyl trafficking into the United States. (DEA)
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador suggested Monday that the abductions on Friday were related to the dispute between the competing factions.
Mérida on Sunday referred to the 66 people who went missing as “absentees” rather than abductees, and said that authorities had no “certainty” that kidnappings had in fact occurred.
For his part, Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya thanked federal authorities including the army and the National Guard for their “constant support” in the wake of the disappearances on Friday. Some 1,800 soldiers and National Guard members have participated in the search for the missing persons, according to López Obrador.
A large number of National Guard members and soldiers were deployed to the Culiacán area in response to the kidnappings on Friday. (Cuartoscuro)
In a post to the X social media platform, Rocha said that a search operation would continue until the eight remaining missing persons have been found. On Friday, the Morena party governor described the kidnappings as “things that unfortunately happen,” a remark seized on by Xóchitl Gálvez, presidential candidate for a three-party opposition alliance.
“I don’t think these are things that happen,” Gálvez said Saturday, asserting that the governor’s remark was an attempt to “normalize violence” and have people see the abduction of “seven families [including] wives and children” as “normal.”
Violence and insecurity will be a major issue in the contest to become Mexico’s next president. All three presidential candidates — Claudia Sheinbaum of the ruling Morena party, Jorgé Álvarez Máynez of the Citizens Movement party, and Gálvez of the Strength and Heart for Mexico coalition — endorsed a “Commitment for Peace” document drawn up by Mexico’s Roman Catholic leadership earlier this month.
Mar. 21: At the Teotenango archaeological site in México state, hundreds of visitors arrived to celebrate the spring equinox with ceremonial dances, offerings and cleanses. (CRISANTA ESPINOSA AGUILAR /CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Take a visual tour of Mexico — from pre-Columbian marriage ceremonies in Puebla to protesters in Playa del Carmen — with this selection of pictures from the week.
Mexico City
Mar. 17: Ballerina Elisa Carrillo Cabrera offered a free mass ballet class in the Zócalo as part of International Women’s Day events, in which over 5,000 participated. (GOBIERNO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO /CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Acapulco, Guerrero
Mar. 18: Tourists enjoyed the long weekend in Acapulco, where the government said hotel occupancy reached 81.6%. (CARLOS ALBERTO CARBAJAL/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Mexico City
Mar. 20: Mexico City Mayor Martí Batres attended the inauguration of the new Parque Aztlán amusement park in Mexico City. (GOBIERNO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Tenejapa, Chiapas
Mar. 21: Women from the Yashanal community who have worked since they were young on coffee plantations and then decided to create their own collective. Chiapas is one of the biggest coffee-producing states in Mexico. (ISABEL MATEOS/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Mar. 22: On World Water Day, environmentalists protested the Maya Train by blocking part of highway 307. (ELIZABETH RUIZ/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Tepeyahualco, Puebla
Mar. 21: Nine couples married in a pre-Columbian ceremony at the Cantona archaeological site on the spring equinox. (MIREYA NOVO/CUARTOSCURO.COM)
Almoloya de Juárez, México State
Mar. 22: Artisans spend over a month in the community of San Mateo Tlachichilpan preparing figurines for upcoming Easter traditions. (CRISANTA ESPINOSA AGUILAR /CUARTOSCURO.COM)
What makes a quesadilla a quesadilla? Apparently, Mexicans haven’t figured it out. (Unsplash)
If there’s one thing that sets Mexico City and its surroundings (including México state) apart from the rest of the country, it’s the never-ending debate about whether or not quesadillas should be filled with cheese.
Being from Guadalajara, I grew up eating quesadillas the only way I knew them: a tortilla folded in half and filled with melted cheese.
Quesadillas are a product of the syncretism between pre-Hispanic cultures and their conquerors. (Wikimedia Commons)
Whether at a restaurant or taquería, asking for a quesadilla required no further explanation beyond the type of tortilla: corn or flour.
But apparently, in Mexico City, you have to elaborate
When I first ordered a quesadilla at a taquería in the capital, I was bewildered when the waiter replied, “¿Con queso o sin queso?” meaning “With cheese or without cheese?”
My brain kind of froze, and I didn’t know what to say.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I thought, “The filling of the quesadilla is implied in its name!”
The waiter then interrupted my thoughts by enlisting an array of fillings, with or without cheese, for the quesadilla.
A cheese hamburger, according to chilangos. (BuzzFeed)
To explain why many of us argue quesadillas should include cheese, let’s go back to basics.
The origin of the word quesadilla
The term quesadilla combines two words: queso (cheese) and the suffix -illa. The latter, unlike popular belief, doesn’t derive from the word tortilla.
Quesadilla was used in Spain to refer to a pastry. The word is derived from quesada, a Spanish pastry containing cheese. The suffix illa indicates a diminutive form or a smaller version of the pastry, specifically a small cheesecake.
Thus, since quesadilla originally referred to a sweet dish that included cheese, it is reasonable to assume that Mexican quesadillas require a tortilla to be filled with cheese.
However, the chilangos (from Mexico City) insist the cheese is optional.
An intensifying debate in social media
While the debate has existed for decades, social media has made it even more evident. As is typical with topics like these, there is an impressive array of memes circulating on social media, poking fun at the quarrel.
The contestant from México state prepared a quesadilla without cheese stuffed only with mushrooms. The other chef, originally from northern Mexico, prepared a quesadilla with cheese and mushrooms.
The debate over the quesadilla’s filling took up a good part of the program. Everyone except those from Mexico City and its surroundings argued that a quesadilla needs cheese.
Neither the contestants nor the jury could reach an agreement. However, the jury (which one would assume were all from the Valley of Mexico) chose the quesadilla without cheese as the episode’s winning dish.
What does the Royal Spanish Academy say?
Spain’s version of the Oxford English Dictionary, the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) defines the Mexican quesadilla as a corn tortilla stuffed with cheese “or other ingredients.”
However, many consider the RAE to be wrong.
In 2016, Ricardo Mendoza Blancas submitted a change.org petition, asking the RAE to modify its definition of the quesadilla to specify that tortillas should include cheese.
In an interview with the BBC, Mendoza said at the time that it was clear the name quesadilla indicated it had cheese in it, “and only one state out of 32 of the republic is in favor of it not containing cheese.”
Thus, he said, “I have decided to launch this petition so that the RAE returns to the true meaning, and above all, logical concept of the word quesadilla.”
Whether it was due to disagreement with his position or to a lack of publicity, the petition only got 81 votes.
A map showing the places where the quesadilla does not include cheese. (BuzzFeed)
When did quesadillas stop having cheese?
In his book Minutiae of the Language, language historian José G. Moreno de Alba points out the semantic shift — i.e., a change in a word’s meaning over time — that has unleashed this heated but friendly debate between Mexico City and the rest of the country.
In his book, Moreno wrote, “While there are still cheese quesadillas in this capital, there are also all kinds of fillings: picadillo, huitlacoche, pumpkin flower, brains, potatoes, etc.”
“Evidently, there has been a semantic shift, not at all uncommon in the language, in the meaning of the word quesadilla, which no longer necessarily designates something that contains cheese — as its name seems to indicate — but another type of filling,” Moreno explained.
“The quesadilla has become a generic term for all cases in which a tortilla bends,” linguist Luis Fernando Lara added to the debate in 2016, in a video recorded for the Mexican Academy of Scientists and Artists, the Colegial Nacional.
An obvious quesadilla, containing cheese. (Wikimedia Commons)
However, it is still unclear to me (and most Mexicans) what differentiates a quesadilla of pumpkin flower without cheese from a taco of pumpkin flower.
I guess we’ll never know.
Sincronizadas, gringas and beyond quesadillas
If you thought the debate over the content of a quesadilla was difficult to understand, let me tell you, it doesn’t end there.
Indeed, the quesadilla matter is complex.
In Mexico’s northern and western states, two tortillas with cheese and ham in the middle are not quesadillas but sincronizadas. If the quesadilla has pork or beef instead of ham, it’s called a gringa. But if the meat and melted cheese are served on top of a toasted tortilla (like a tostada), it’s a volcán.
And if you move down to southern Mexico, a quesadilla more greatly resembles an empanada than a traditional corn tortilla quesadilla.
Whatever the flavor or shape, these dishes, no matter what they’re called, only add up to the richness and diversity of our culture and cuisine.
And while I feel incredibly proud of this assortment, I will forever defend the original notion of a quesadilla con queso.
Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her lifestyle blog Dunas y Palmeras.
The sun sets behind San Miguel's Church of the Immaculate Conception. (Daniels Joffe/Unsplash)
When church bells ring in the Bajío region of Mexico, listeners may recall a pivotal moment in the country’s history. It was in the town of Dolores in Guanajuato, only 40 kilometers from San Miguel de Allende, that local priest Miguel Hidalgoignited the flames of freedom with an act that still reverberates across the nation. In the quiet of the early hours on September 16, 1810, he rang the bells of his church to summon the townspeople in a fervent cry for liberty. The iconic Cry of Dolores galvanized the population to rise against the oppression of Spanish rule and heralded the Mexican War of Independence.
Captivated by the evocative tolling of the church bells that echo through San Miguel de Allende, I set out to unravel the mysteries behind their timing and purpose. My curiosity led me to seek guidance from the people most knowledgeable on the topic: the church staff entrusted with this melodic task.
San Miguel de Allende’s churches are more than just places of worship. (Chris Luengas/Unsplash)
Like in so many places around the world, church bells play a key role in San Miguel’s religious life, where their primary function is to announce religious services and call worshippers to prayer. This practice keeps the community connected to their faith, reminding everyone, amidst their daily activities, to pause and come together.
While interviewing church staff, I became aware of the distinction between church bells and clocks. Despite their similarity, they emit distinctly different sounds. While clocks sound to mark the passage of time, church bells carry a deeper significance, summoning the community to gather for worship or celebration.
Bells also ring to mark significant moments in life. At the end of the marriage ceremony, they peal joyfully to celebrate the union of the newlyweds. Conversely, at the beginning of a funeral service, the bells toll in a slow and spaced-out tempo, solemnly honoring the departed.
Church bells are not rung in a uniform schedule across all parishes, as each has its own calendar. There are two types of church bells: those rung by pulling on a rope and those that are rotated and made to keep turning to create a melancholic sound, particularly used on somber occasions like the Day of the Dead and Holy Week.
Each parish has its own schedule for bellringing, meaning the air is often filled with the sound of chimes. (Chris Luengas/Unsplash)
The Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, the city’s iconic main church — St. Michael is San Miguel de Allende’s patron saint — follows a precise and reverent bell-ringing schedule to signal its various religious services and events throughout the day. Like other churches, the bells start ringing 30 minutes before mass at 15-minute intervals, marking the countdown to the services held at 7 a.m., 8 a.m., noon and 8 p.m.
At the Templo de la Inmaculada Concepción, commonly known as Las Monjas, Sister Inés kindly agreed to answer my questions. Although the church’s tower holds four bells, she told me, only one is used to call worshippers to mass and is rung by pulling on a rope. Thirty minutes before mass, this bell chimes at 15-minute intervals. Ringing all four bells requires climbing to the tower and is only done on special occasions, such as the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8; the feast of St. Beatrice of Silva, founder of the Order of the Immaculate Conception; and when a new Sister takes her vows. The bell remains silent for the daily morning mass because the priest’s arrival time varies, so it is only used to announce the daily 7 p.m. mass, and the 11:30 a.m. Sunday mass.
At the Parroquia de San Antonio de Padua, I interviewed Amado Rubio, the church’s young sacristan. He explained the bells ring following the same pattern as other churches: three calls at 15-minute intervals for the 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. masses. You can expect to hear loud tolling on and around June 13, the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua, this church’s patron saint. The church’s bells peal to mark this holiday and then again on the following weekend to mark the start of one of San Miguel’s most cherished festivals.
The Desfile de los Locos (Parade of the Crazies) is a lively and cherished tradition celebrated in San Miguel de Allende every year. Participants adorn themselves in elaborate costumes and masks, showcasing a spectrum of creativity from whimsical to humorous. The chimes of the Parroquia de San Antonio’s bells beckon the spirited participants, affectionately dubbed “locos,” to converge at its terrace. From there, they embark on a joyous procession, wildly dancing their way through the winding streets toward the city square known as the Jardín Allende.
As the church bells reverberate, I feel the contrast to the private messaging facilitated by digital devices. Church bells resonate throughout entire neighborhoods, fostering communal engagement and a sense of belonging. With each peal, I am reminded of the enduring legacy of faith and resilience that binds us together, transcending time and space.
Sandra Gancz Kahan is a Mexican writer and translator based in San Miguel de Allende who specializes in mental health and humanitarian aid. She believes in the power of language to foster compassion and understanding across cultures. She can be reached at: sandragancz@gmail.com
Time to laugh with the best memes while learning a little about the Mexican sense of humor.
It is time once again, my friends! If you love Mexican memes and you have a questionable sense of humor like I do, then you’ve come to the right place.
Seriously though. What better way to learn about Mexico and its humor than through the Spanish-language memes currently making the rounds? See below for some hearty laughs, complete with translations. Enjoy!
Meme translation: “The good thing is that you have your kitty so you won’t feel lonely.” “Safe distance, safe distance!!!”
What does it meme? Well, here it is, folks: the reason I’m not really a cat person. (Why can’t they just let me love them?)
“Safe distance” doesn’t actually do the translation above justice. During the pandemic (oh, how distant it seems now!), the Mexican government came up with a character named “Susana Distancia” as a catchy way to illustrate and remind people (mostly kids) how far they should be standing from each other to lower the risk of transmission.
The name “Susana” is common, and also means something if you split it up: “su sana…” (your safe…” in English). Cute, right? It was also a great opportunity for those who, like that cat, didn’t love being in close proximity with others in the first place.
Meme translation:“My body is like a Catholic church. Filled with bread, wine, and sin.”
What does it meme? Cute, right? I imagine that this is something that would give most Mexicans (who are majority Catholic) a pretty good laugh. Especially now during the winter months, I’m heavy on the bread and wine – got to keep warm and keep up my reserves!
Meme translation: “What do you know about caresses if you’ve never traveled by metro?”
What does it meme? I’ll admit that this one is not new, but it’s one of my favorite ever so I just had to share it with you.
If you’ve ever traveled by metro on one of the more heavily traveled routes (especially during rush hour), you’ve probably, like me, stood staring in disbelief as more people than you thought possible packed themselves into a metro car.
Don’t like people touching you? Too bad. Not only will you be squished in like sardines, you’ll have to fight your way both in and out. Godspeed!
Meme translation:“When I see some chick graffitiing a monument that I peed on three days ago.”
What does it meme? It’s always during the annual women’s marches in Mexico that righteous indignation for the country’s symbols of patriotism swells like rainwater during a hurricane.
Quite a lot of it is geared toward graffiti from the march – women writing feminist messages or symbols on highly visible monuments and buildings. It’s not very ladylike, and extremely unappreciated by those who would prefer the damitas stay home and wait patiently for their equal rights to show up.
Do a side-by-side, though, and I don’t think you’d find much of a difference between women marching for their rights and the average male citizen when it comes to general respect for pristine public spaces.
Meme translation: “Men: not all men are like that.” “Men to their daughters: yes, all men, every single one of them.”
What does it meme? And speaking of feminism, a fair zinger, I’d say.
When wondering about whether you really believe what you’re saying, a good question to ask yourself is this: Would I swear this to the person I most love if I knew they would take my words deeply to heart?
Meme translation: “Bro, how do I know if my Jordans are real or fake?” “Mm, look at the logo. Hold on, look…”
What does it meme? At least in the 20+ years that I’ve been here, Mexico has been a place where you can find counterfeit goods galore (the word that most people would use to describe a knockoff of something is “chafa”) – there are even certain markets that are famous for them.
I’d personally actually seek out those chafa sneakers above, and I’d be willing to be someone out there knew there’d be a market for them. (If any of you see them on sale anywhere, e-mail me? Thanks.)
Meme translation: “What is that?” “An insect.” “What kind?” “A green one.” “Right but what’s it called?” “Jonathan.”
What does it meme? Mexicans enjoy deadpan humor as much as the rest of us! Remember, if you’re not sure what something is called…you can always make up a name!
Amazon announced a US $5 billion investment in Mexico recently, which could be part of a trend towards increased productivity and more high-skill jobs. (Wikimedia Commons)
Is Mexico at risk of falling into the “middle income trap?”
Much has been written about this infamous trap in economics, which refers to the situation in which a middle-income country — which Mexico is becoming — can no longer compete internationally in standardized, labor-intensive goods because of wage increases, but also struggles to compete in higher value-added sectors, because of low productivity.
In short, this means a country is no longer poor, but not yet wealthy, and can get stuck — unable to advance economically. The danger of this is that a middle-income country can then fail to attract additional foreign direct investment into lower-skill industries, due to a relatively high cost of labor, yet lack the skilled labor and productivity to attract investment in other sectors.
Further complicating matters, a common solution to get out of the “trap” is a currency devaluation that, while lowering labor costs, can create many other problems.
The recent strengthening of the peso has put Mexico at risk of this dilemma, which I have written about previously. Mexico needs to evolve beyond relatively low-skill, basic manufacturing and service jobs to those that are of higher skill levels, and/or to increase productivity of existing jobs. This means more output from each worker, which tends to lead to increased wages, higher-skill work, and ultimately improved standards of living for workers.
But is this really happening in Mexico?
Part of what makes the country so fascinating to watch is that a transformation across multiple industrial sectors is taking place at the same time — right before our eyes. There is an industrialization boom taking place in the manufacturing sector, being led by the auto industry but there is also significant investment in aerospace, healthcare and other industries. There is a boom in the food and beverage industry, with exports hitting record highs across many products in that sector.
There is also an infrastructure boom, with investment and improvements pouring into airports, ports, highways, and trains. There is a tourism boom, with tourist spending hitting record highs across the country. These transformations are undeniably creating new and better jobs for many Mexicans, but are they improving productivity?
Mexico is receiving record amounts of foreign direct investment, with the vast majority continuing to be in the manufacturing sector. Perhaps of most interest, many of these investments are going into higher skill manufacturing in new technologies like electric vehicles, solar panel production and medical devices, which are industries that have more advanced technology, require higher skill levels and as a result will pay workers better wages.
The recent US $5 billion investment announcement from Amazon Web Services (AWS) into cloud computing infrastructure is especially promising. This investment, to be made in the center of the country in the state of Querétaro, will serve to boost Mexico’s digital transformation across many industries.
The investment from AWS is a game changer because it is an enabling technology, allowing companies to lower costs and improve productivity in their operations. In this sense, an investment like this can have a much larger, “multiplier” effect, given the impact it can have on many other companies.
Since 2017, AWS says that it has up-skilled over 400,000 Mexicans in digital technologies, and will train an additional 200,000 by 2026. An investment in infrastructure along with the training provided by AWS will allow businesses of all sizes to better leverage vital digital resources like cloud computing.
It is not easy for an emerging economy like Mexico to attract investment in both new technologies like electric vehicles and into enabling technologies like cloud computing.
The fact that Mexico has had significant investment announcements in both of these strategic areas is a very bullish sign for the country’s economy. These types of investments will help by providing higher-wage jobs, raising the standard of living of workers, and ultimately helping the government to have the resources it needs to invest in important areas such as education, health care and infrastructure for its citizens.
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for over 27 years.
