515742 Sun May 04 11:32:18 -0700 2008 13 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 3655350 I was doing some research on the cuisine of a Acapulco, Gro. because of my falling in love with a new restaurant here in San Diego called: El Sabor de Acapulco. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/513992 Came Across this page first which mention a drink I had not heard of called " Tuba": http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:H49jJjY5zpAJ:www.acapulcoturismo.com.mx/blog/el-sabor-de-acapulco/+el+sabor+de+acapulco&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us&client=firefox-a Hmm....interesting. Further research yielded this page: http://www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx/notas/749-La-Tuba.-Bebida-refrescante-con-arraigo-colimense-(Colima) Put out by the great ppl over at Mex desconcido giving it a neighboring state of Colima origin where the Manila Galleons would first arrive. Then, this awesome page explaining the nuances of mex homebrew drinks http://sepiensa.org.mx/contenidos/fermentaciones/bebidas/fermenta3.htm Towards the bottom is the Tuba. My translation: It appears to be a sort of palm wine thats origins lie in the Philippines! Lightly alcoholic, sparkling and used by the mestizos of the colima and guerrero coasts. http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuba_(bebida) This is the wikipedia article with a picture of a drink unadulterated with fruit flavors with some sort of seed or peanut floating on top. Flavored versions include jamaica, peanut, cucumber, and apple. The palm is extracted before the flower blooms. Interesting stuff! Sun May 04 11:32:19 -0700 2008 14086 kare_raisu 1 3655372 If you scroll down this page the person submitted perhaps the most comprehensive list I have seen of Mex. fermented drinks attrb. to deconcido as well: http://www.jeeperos.com/foros/showthread.php?t=31665&page=2 Sun May 04 11:41:53 -0700 2008 3655350 14086 kare_raisu 2 3657463 That is some great info.... if you notice he credits Ricardo Munoz' Diccionario.... and that is why I have been wanting to get my hands on it! Mon May 05 08:46:50 -0700 2008 3655372 42572 Eat_Nopal 3 3659491 I see what I can do in Mexico. Mon May 05 17:03:24 -0700 2008 3657463 14086 kare_raisu 1 3661050 Yes, tuba (tu BAh) is a filipino wine from coconut flowers. Not very good. Tue May 06 08:28:14 -0700 2008 3655350 36661 Sam Fujisaka 2 3661086 Yeah if you are comparing to a fine wine its going to dissappoint... but I have had very tasty Tuba in Guerrero that is satisfying to the soul in the same way as a good Tejuino or Tepache etc., Tue May 06 08:37:12 -0700 2008 3661050 42572 Eat_Nopal 3 3661095 I've had it quitee a bit in the Philippines. I don't compare it to wine, but to different chichas. Tue May 06 08:39:20 -0700 2008 3661086 36661 Sam Fujisaka 4 3661132 Well you know what Bourdain says about the Mesoamerican culinary talent! Tue May 06 08:45:57 -0700 2008 3661095 42572 Eat_Nopal 4 5190559 I've had tuba on Guam and it was delicious...and KR, it was very high in alcohol...Chamorro's consider it their "moonshine" Tue Nov 17 22:24:19 -0800 2009 3661095 1095320 adwf 1 3661154 KR, I remember you once expressed interest in understanding the uses for all the non-culinary herbs & plants you see at the mercados. I have been searching for years for a translated copy of Juan Badiano's Libellus de medicinalibus indorum which was a Latin reproduction of Martin de la Cruz' 1552 codex in Nahuatl.... (there are no known surviving copies of the original Nahualt version... but Badiano faithfully recreated all the drawings in the original Mexica style)... you might also be interested in this. The original is still in the Barbierini Library in Rome Tue May 06 08:50:30 -0700 2008 3655350 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 3661187 I should also mention that Felipe II sent Francisco Hernandez to Nueva Espana to comprehensively catalog the use of plants.... the volume contains 3,076 plants many of which became part of Europe's proto-medicine tradition. Tue May 06 08:59:20 -0700 2008 3661154 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 3661190 Damn that sounds awesome. All of those packets are extremely interesting. Most of the mexicans I ask dont have the slightest idea what they are. Cats claw! Tue May 06 09:00:24 -0700 2008 3661154 14086 kare_raisu 3 3661214 Pinches Indios Desindiados! Fieldtrip for you in Guadalajara.... find the corner of the mercado with all the Herbalists & Santeros & get them to explain them to you.... you will be fascinated. Alternatively... you can hit the mall to find the Fresa (yuppie) version & learn all about them from pamphlets & severly underemployed young Biology graduates in an antiseptic environment. Tue May 06 09:06:27 -0700 2008 3661190 42572 Eat_Nopal 4 3661317 I am there! haha "severly..."! The drawings you described reminded me of the movie La Otra Conquista - the main character is in charge of all of the drawings documenting the last years of the Aztec era. You need to see this! Tue May 06 09:32:51 -0700 2008 3661214 14086 kare_raisu