Coordinated by Mariana Castillo Hernández — Repro.Gráfika
A collaborative homage to the milpa — the ancient Mesoamerican intercropping system that has sustained corn, beans, squash, and community for over 9,000 years. Edited by journalist and researcher Mariana Castillo, who describes the milpa as an analogy for life itself, one that resists diminishment into a single, nationalist narrative of Mexican food culture.
The book unfolds in two parts. The first, "Palabras de la Milpa," gathers milpa vocabulary illustrated by a collective of artists working across urban graphic art, scientific illustration, design, and embroidery — words like comal, semilla, and temporal that carry the language of the countryside. The second, "Historias de la Milpa," weaves ethnographic journalism from fields and families across Mexico — from nixtamal-making in Jalisco to the maize traditions of the Hernández Ruíz family in Chiapas — captured in photography throughout.
A visually rich, deeply researched tribute to corn culture and the people who keep it alive — winner of an award at the 2023 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
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Coordinator/Photographer: Mariana Castillo Hernández
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Language: Spanish
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Publisher: Repro.Gráfika
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Format: Paperback, 303 pages, color photography
2025
In Spanish and English
Imported from Mexico
Available at Now Serving: A Cookbook & Culinary Shop in Los Angeles
