The sun creeps over the mountain ridge, casting its first shadow deep into the canyon – far away in the distance a blur is moving fast with the speed and agility of a Pronghorn. Look closer and you see someone running in a dress?

When someone invades your country you can flee or you can fight. In the 16th century the Spanish invaded the Americas. The Aztecs and the Maya fought, that didn’t exactly work out for them, the Raramuri or as the Spanish called them, the Tarahumara, fled and hid in the Sierra Madre, home to the Copper Canyons. They were so good at camouflage Cortez and his successors never found them. In the 1890’s the explorer Carl Lumholtz rode past a village without even seeing it.
The Copper Canyons have always been quite popular with naughty boys, such as Geronimo and a few bandits. Although I’m not quite sure these days if Geronimo was naughty? One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter and all that. π
But back to the Taramuhara, boy can these people run, 50-100 miles? No problem.
One of the things that assist them is their diet, they eat a lot Masa Harina which is cornmeal treated with lime (the mineral lime, not the fruit). From this they make Pinole (recipe here). Masa Harina is sold out in the UK, nothing to do with the apocopalypse it’s been like that for a while, so I am still running slowly πSome say they are the best distance runners in the world, epitomised in Christopher McDougall‘s book Born to Run it’s an interesting debate and they do it all in sandals, eat your heart out Nike π
That is staple diet in South Africa too.. π
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We create specialized equopment for so much as scratching our elbows (Scratch-U-Well)
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πππππ
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Don’t leave home without it! And, um, this. And this… π
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Okay, so this is that serendipity thing we always hear about…. Hahah…
I have, at this moment, three; yes THREE packets of Masa Harina in my cupboard…
I haven’t opened one as yet; I’ve been waiting to be inspired!!!
Some weeks back I found a recipe using Masa Harina. I searched and I searched and I couldn’t find any, anywhere. I went online and found some (at a price plus delivery charge) – I didn’t think it worth it. However, Charlie, my man went into our local Health Foods Store last week and bought three packets of a new shipment that had just arrived. (I actually squirmed when he proudly showed me.) Did he leave some for others? I didn’t ask!
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Haha, they were on sale here for Β£3 a Kilo at Mex Grocer and Health Shops, now I can only find them on EBay Β£26 a Kilo! The photo I shared was from a recipe for Pinole with a peanut butter topping (are you okay with Peanuts or do they remind you of cigarettes now LOL) I’ll checkout the local shop π
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I made the Pinole yesterday (Sunday) and K and I ate them with peanut butter and sliced banana… Yum! Yum!
I’m looking forward to making more, plus some other recipes I’ve found. They (pinole) certainly were filling!!! I can understand their use as energy bars..
Hahah… No, not turned off by peanuts. I really love them – they were a life saver for me all those years back!!! π
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Will it help you become a runner? I’ve never been able to run…unless someone was chasing my ass.
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Haha, you might have to learn now, when you’re in the Supermarket π
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Ain’t that the damn truth…ππ³
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There are many Native people who still run. Not me.
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β€οΈ
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Thank you, hope you are okay today xxx
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Fighting Charly, fighting… β€οΈ
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β€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ
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I doubt that Masa Harina has been the target of many panic buyers, though I note that the quinoa has now all gone, along with 99% of the cous cous and a lot of buckwheat.
Interesting history – particularly the question of terrorists and freedom fighters.
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I got an email from the Mexgrocer today informing me it was back in stock. Probably more to do with Drug Cartels than panic buyers in Tesco. There are a lot of Drug Cartels in the Copper Canyon’s apparently. Upon the subject of terrorists I wonder where they all went? Isis/Syria/Russians etc appear to have vanished. You wouldn’t think they would be scared of a virus? π
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It’s probably just that there isn’t room in the papers – as the virus declines they will probably reappear.
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you possess great writing skill. Please visit my blog as well.
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That is so interesting. How they run so fast in those sandals hard to imagine. Have you tasted the cakes with lime? If so I am curious what you thought about them. Very interesting post. Thank you. Love and blessings to you. Joni
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Thank you Joni, I read the book a few weeks back and I haven’t been able to locate the Masa Harina. It was sold out everywhere until early this week in UK. The lime is not a fruit (as I originally thought) It’s the limestone they use. Hmmm…
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Hi, interesting take on running and what GOES into it. Enjoyed it thoroughly.
Thanks and much appreciated for sharing
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Thank you π
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