An ancient Mexican dish for Day of the Dead

We are celebrating at Oyamel with memelas

Amigos, last night you must know was Halloween, which makes today Día de los Muertos…the Day of the Dead. It is more commonly celebrated outside the US, where it is a much more important day than Halloween. It is a day of remembering, celebrating, and honoring our ancestors, and loved ones who have passed away. It is celebrated all around Mexico, and many Americans have developed a love for it too. At my Mexican restaurant Oyamel, every year we have a big festival and a special menu to celebrate.

Last year, you might remember, I shared a recipe for a delicious pumpkin flan from Oyamel…did any of you make it? Let me know!

This year at the restaurant, we are celebrating the life of my old friend Diana Kennedy. Diana passed away last year at the age of 99. To me, she was a window in to the soul of Mexico…an amazing woman who helped many of us understand the regional dishes of Mexico.

So I wanted to share with you a recipe for memelas, a specialty from the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Pueblo that we have on the menu for this year’s Day of the Dead Festival (which is still running in Washington DC until November 5!). The name comes from the Aztec Nahuatl language tlaxcalmimilli, which means “long tortilla.”

Memelas are savory cakes of nixtamalized corn flour, or masa harina, which are topped with something amazing and eaten as an antojito, a snack. You might know a similar dish, called sopes or huaraches in different parts of the country.

Our memelas have a topping of slightly spicy, very savory butternut pumpkin, with pomegranate seeds and requesón (a cooked cheese very similar to ricotta…you can easily substitute). It’s actually a very easy recipe, but will look impressive if you serve it to your family! The flowers on top are optional…they are beautiful to look at, but no one will notice if you don’t add them, I’m sure.

And for the masa, the nixtamalized corn flour, I hope you will look into buying from the amazing company called Masienda—that’s who we support at the restaurant, and they have a great product at home as well. The brand Maseca is more widely available.

So friends…I hope you had a nice Halloween, and let me know if you make these memelas to celebrate Día de los Muertos…!

Memelas con Calabaza Frita y Requesón
Griddled masa cake with fresh cheese, autumn squash, poblano pepper, and pomegranate seeds