Animalitos de Yema Comitecos

Chiapas, the Meseta Comiteca, Comitán de Domínguez. That is where these animalitos live: in panaderías with hornos de leña, in mercado baskets, on clay plates beside atole when the afternoon gets cool. This is not food from a single Mexico. Cada estado, su propia cocina.

The dough is yellow because of yemas, not food coloring. It is tender because of manteca de cerdo, not shortening. Some panaderas perfume it with anís verde, some keep it plain so the egg and wheat speak clearly. I use anís because the señora in Comitán who let me watch her shape little pigs and birds crushed it in her palm before it went into the flour.

The work is in the hands. You make a soft enriched dough, let it rise slowly, then pinch bodies, ears, snouts, wings, and tails with the patience used for tamales or tortillas. Do not make sculptures. Make bread animals that bake evenly and sit proudly on hoja de plátano. There is no chile here because this is bread. Not every Mexican dish needs chile to announce itself. These rolls announce Chiapas through wheat, yolk, lard, and the bakery. Saber cocinar es saber vivir.