History
History
The recipes of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
By Gretel Morales - 2022-03-04T18:38:34Z
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz is one of the most important literary figures in our country, as despite spending her days in a convent, she challenged the social norms of her time to produce wonderful literary works.
Although the poet is best known for her writings and sonnets, she also ventured into cooking, as she is attributed with around 36 recipes, mostly for desserts. Before delving into the delights prepared by Sor Juana, it is worth mentioning that the dishes created within convents have left a huge mark on Mexican cuisine, as nuns were responsible for creating dishes such as chiles en nogada, rompope, candied fruit, jamoncillo, and many other recipes that are now considered jewels of Mexican gastronomy.
Her confinement to the kitchen of the convent of San Jerónimo was intended as a punishment; however, Sor Juana ended up taking ownership of the experience and enjoying the art of cooking, as it became a kind of alchemical experiment. In her book titled Response to Sor Filotea, Sor Juana explains the magic that happens in the kitchen:
Indeed, Sor Juana's recipes are complex and combine flavors in ways that now seem unusual to us. Academic Laura Pinto Araujo explains that:
The mix of ingredients and flavors shows us that the poet was also incredibly skilled in the kitchen, as she could combine indigenous, European, and Arab elements to delight those around her with delicacies such as her famous buñuelos.
What happened to the famous recipe book of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz? In 1976, a manuscript containing 36 recipes from the cloister of San Jerónimo, attributed to the writer, was published. The introduction was a sonnet written by Sor Juana. After an investigation, it was determined to be authentic.
Although the poet is best known for her writings and sonnets, she also ventured into cooking, as she is attributed with around 36 recipes, mostly for desserts. Before delving into the delights prepared by Sor Juana, it is worth mentioning that the dishes created within convents have left a huge mark on Mexican cuisine, as nuns were responsible for creating dishes such as chiles en nogada, rompope, candied fruit, jamoncillo, and many other recipes that are now considered jewels of Mexican gastronomy.
Her confinement to the kitchen of the convent of San Jerónimo was intended as a punishment; however, Sor Juana ended up taking ownership of the experience and enjoying the art of cooking, as it became a kind of alchemical experiment. In her book titled Response to Sor Filotea, Sor Juana explains the magic that happens in the kitchen:
For what could I tell you, madam, about the natural secrets I have discovered while cooking? To see an egg unite and fry in lard or oil and, on the contrary, break apart in syrup; to see that for sugar to remain fluid, it is enough to add a very small amount of water in which quince or another sour fruit has been; to see that the yolk and white of the same egg are so contrary that, in the ones that serve for sugar, each serves by itself and not together.
Indeed, Sor Juana's recipes are complex and combine flavors in ways that now seem unusual to us. Academic Laura Pinto Araujo explains that:
In this sense, Sor Juana, responsible for preserving the gastronomic memory of the convent of San Jerónimo, reclaims in her recipe book the ancient – a clear characteristic of Renaissance humanism – and at the same time contributes the creativity typical of the Baroque. In it converge those two kitchens: the indigenous, filled with tasty and varied ingredients, and the Spanish, seasoned with spices from Africa and Asia.
Some of the ingredients present in Sor Juana's recipes are eggs, nuts, acitrón, sesame, rice, meat, raisins, walnuts, capers, bread, chickpeas, chiles, sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, corn, garlic, and spices, among many others. The mix of ingredients and flavors shows us that the poet was also incredibly skilled in the kitchen, as she could combine indigenous, European, and Arab elements to delight those around her with delicacies such as her famous buñuelos.
What happened to the famous recipe book of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz? In 1976, a manuscript containing 36 recipes from the cloister of San Jerónimo, attributed to the writer, was published. The introduction was a sonnet written by Sor Juana. After an investigation, it was determined to be authentic.
The Recipes of Sor Juana
Of the 36 recipes attributed to the poet, only 10 are savory, indicating her preference for desserts. Here are some of her renowned recipes:- Beet ante
- Blackhead ante
- Cheese buñuelos
- Clemole from Oaxaca
- Set gigote
- Prieto stew
- Mole eggs
- Jericaya
- Manchamanteles
- Portuguese hens
- Spinach pudding
- Rice cake
- Heaven cake
- Corn turco cacahuacintle
