"nixtamalization"

#12555546

15 July 2025

Claudia Morales and Manuel Morales, originally from Santa Cruz Acalpixca in the Xochimilco district of Mexico City, dedicate themselves, along with others, to the production and sale of crystallized sweets. They aim to promote their products, such as chilacayote, pumpkin, beet, pineapple, and nopal, which they transform by hand into crystallized sweets. The crystallization of sweets is a technique of convent origin that emerges in the New Spain era. It consists of slowly cooking fruits or vegetables in water and sugar, which gives them a translucent appearance. According to information from the municipality, crystallization is a preserving method that dates back to pre-Hispanic times. At that time, techniques based on quicklime or calcium oxide are used; one of the most famous is nixtamalization. The Crystallized Sweets Fair has been held since 1982 in Santa Cruz Acalpixca, Xochimilco, Mexico City.

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