Flor de Calabacitas bring fragrance and flavor to Chihuahua homes this time of year.

The unique foods of the Norteño area and Copper Canyon include the lovely and fragrant squash blossoms….flor de calabacitas. The are harvested in the late summer time when the rains push the brown/tan valleys and mountains into a verdant miracle.

The Fall is a great time for The Blue Corn Express culinary trip for many reasons…one of which is that we can enjoy this culinary delight.

The aroma is light as these yellow flowers are gathered in baskets early in the day. Their use is in canned vegetables, with eggs, in soups …anywhere you want a light addition to a flavorful dish.

Flor de Calabacitas are readily available in the markets early in the day - especially in the rainy season.

Porfiria Gonzales with a small pot we purchased from her on the street in Mata Ortiz

I especially like the craft and color of her miniatures:

Miniature pots from Porfiria Gonzales in Mata Ortiz.

He is featured in the film, “The Mata Ortiz Phenomenon” from The American Museum of Ceramic Art. Here is a youtube excerpt from that masterful film.

Though Manuel is somewhat known now, his home is modest and his hospitality flowing – he invited us as perfect strangers in for a coke and in the absence of pots he might have for sale (they were all on the road on exhibition), he let me have two very fine damaged pots as examples.

Manuel Rodriguez in his home with an unfinished treasure.

Anyway, Nelid  Reiz came buy as we were buying some other pots with these cool little graphite pots – each about the price of 3 eggs!

Nelid Reiz in Mata Ortiz.

So Rosa Gaona pulled up and spread out her treasures – a variety of graphite and typically painted pots. Very nice work.

Rosa Gaona with her wares in Mata Ortiz.

Mama Villalba with one of her family treasures.

We wandered around the Villalba home/studio for at least an hour…a truly Mexican home and an earthy potting environment. The matriarch watched with few words as I ran my naive eyes over her clay miracles. The walls behind her were layered with crosses, the pope, Jesus, Mary, lots of lights…

Packing up pots at the Villalba home.

Mata Ortiz pots are not turned. This car pulley bracket is used to hold the pot as it is being formed.

The use of the reject car part for a rotating pedistal for shaping pots was perfect…as was the door knob made of bottle caps.

Villalba front door knob in Mata Ortiz.

The Villalba home and studio.

Here is whatWikipedia says about this incredible pottery:Mata Ortiz has recently seen a revival of an ancient Mesoamerican pottery tradition. Inspired by pottery from the ancient city of Paquimé, which traded as far north as New Mexico and Arizona and throughout northern Mexico, modern potters are producing work for national and international sale. This new artistic movement is due to the efforts of Juan Quezada, the self-taught originator of modern Mata Ortiz pottery, his extended family and neighbors.

Mata Ortiz Pottery

Mata Ortiz pots are hand built without the use of a potter’s wheel. Shaping, polishing and painting the clay is entirely done by hand, often with brushes made from children’s hair. All materials and tools originate from supplies that are readily available locally. The preferred fuel for the low temperature firing is grass-fed cow manure or split wood. Each of these characteristics derive from the ancient pottery traditions of the region, however Mata Ortiz ware incorporates elements of contemporary design and decoration and each potter or pottery family produces distinctive individualized ware.

Young clay workers from surrounding areas have been attracted to the Mata Ortiz revival and have joined Quezada and his associates. New potting families developed and the art movement continues to expand. A vibrant flow of new ideas, without the restraints of traditional practices or gender constraints, has enabled the pottery of Mata Ortiz to avoid derivative repetition common to folk art movements. This blend of cultural expression, economic need and artistic freedom has produced a unique artistic movement in the community.